Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between correction officers and security patrol officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a correction officer has an average salary of $39,369, which is higher than the $31,673 average annual salary of a security patrol officer.
The top three skills for a correction officer include public safety, correctional facility and emergency situations. The most important skills for a security patrol officer are patrol, customer service, and security services.
| Correction Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $39,369 | $31,673 |
| Hourly rate | $18.93 | $15.23 |
| Growth rate | -10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 103,383 | 131,574 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A correction officer is responsible for monitoring the daily activities of individuals serving time in prison, enforcing the standard rules and regulatory procedures to maintain safety and security within the premises. Correction officers' duties include searching for restricted items, inspecting the facilities' condition, observing unusual and suspicious behaviors, generating incident reports, and providing assistance during counseling and trial schedules. Correction officers must be highly knowledgeable of legal regulations. They must also cooperate with court procedures for any investigations within their place of work.
A Security Patrol Officer ensures the safety and security of the establishment under guard. The security officer ensures that all facility areas are secured, does regular patrols, routine inspections, and monitors the premises, and logs in daily reports for management to assess. The Security Patrol Officer's role is vital for the continued performance of an establishment as it prevents crime, stealing, and other heinous acts that may severely affect a company's operations.
Correction officers and security patrol officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Correction Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Average salary | $39,369 | $31,673 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $54,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Government | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a correction officer and a security patrol officer in terms of educational background:
| Correction Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between correction officers' and security patrol officers' demographics:
| Correction Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 16.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 23.6% Asian, 5.3% White, 52.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |