Desk sergeant vs detective sergeant

The differences between desk sergeants and detective sergeants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detective sergeant has an average salary of $52,546, which is higher than the $39,731 average annual salary of a desk sergeant.

The top three skills for a desk sergeant include patrol, law enforcement agencies and emergency situations. The most important skills for a detective sergeant are patrol, evidence collection, and law enforcement agencies.

Desk sergeant vs detective sergeant overview

	Desk Sergeant	Detective Sergeant
Yearly salary	$39,731	$52,546
Hourly rate	$19.10	$25.26
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	24,833	938
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Desk sergeant vs detective sergeant salary

Desk sergeants and detective sergeants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Desk Sergeant	Detective Sergeant
Average salary	$39,731	$52,546
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $47,000	Between $40,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between desk sergeant and detective sergeant education

There are a few differences between a desk sergeant and a detective sergeant in terms of educational background:

	Desk Sergeant	Detective Sergeant
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	Pennsylvania State University

Desk sergeant vs detective sergeant demographics

Here are the differences between desk sergeants' and detective sergeants' demographics:

	Desk Sergeant	Detective Sergeant
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%	Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 1.8% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 1.8% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between desk sergeant and detective sergeant duties and responsibilities

Desk sergeant example responsibilities.

Assist in establishing overall S3 objectives and accomplishing assign missions.
Monitor console alarm panels and CCTV displays for various high priority facilities.
Conduct classroom instruction in engagement techniques, limit visibility gunnery, target classification, range determination, and field reconnaissance.
Secure priceless and irreplaceable documents against threats of terrorism and sabotage.

Detective sergeant example responsibilities.

Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Assist in writing standards for certification for the firearms unit.
Supervise detective squad, identify monthly investigation outcomes, create staffing schedules, perform stake-outs, monitor wire taps ,
Establish probable cause to obtain warrants, leading to arrests and the seizure of narcotics, firearms and other contraband.
Deliver subpoenas and other documents as requested by attorneys.
Supervise detectives attaining search warrants, subpoenas and financial/phone/computer records.

Desk sergeant vs detective sergeant skills

Common desk sergeant skills

Patrol, 17%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 15%
Emergency Situations, 14%
Incident Reports, 6%
Blotter, 5%
Emergency Calls, 3%

Common detective sergeant skills

Patrol, 20%
Evidence Collection, 10%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 10%
Homicide, 6%
Burglary, 4%
Criminal Cases, 4%

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Protective Service Industry
Desk Sergeant
Desk Sergeant vs Detective Sergeant

Updated January 8, 2025

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