Desk sergeant vs platoon sergeant

The differences between desk sergeants and platoon sergeants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a platoon sergeant has an average salary of $95,863, 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 platoon sergeant are safety procedures, combat, and professional development.

Desk sergeant vs platoon sergeant overview

	Desk Sergeant	Platoon Sergeant
Yearly salary	$39,731	$95,863
Hourly rate	$19.10	$46.09
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	24,833	357
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Desk sergeant vs platoon sergeant salary

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

	Desk Sergeant	Platoon Sergeant
Average salary	$39,731	$95,863
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $47,000	Between $68,000 And $134,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between desk sergeant and platoon sergeant education

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

	Desk Sergeant	Platoon Sergeant
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	Pennsylvania State University

Desk sergeant vs platoon sergeant demographics

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

	Desk Sergeant	Platoon Sergeant
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%	Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4%
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, 11.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between desk sergeant and platoon 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.

Platoon sergeant example responsibilities.

Orchestrate squadron recognition programs, manage enlisted promotion recommendations and alleviate all airmen quality force issues.
Mentore and maintain accountability of soldiers within the platoon, providing positive guidance for their personal and professional development.
Train ROTC students during drills.
Award combat action badge for duty in OIF.
Assist in training and mentoring college ROTC cadets.
Evaluate training processes as they pertain to a broad range of equipment, organizations, and doctrine.

Desk sergeant vs platoon sergeant skills

Common desk sergeant skills

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

Common platoon sergeant skills

Safety Procedures, 20%
Combat, 15%
Professional Development, 8%
Weapons Systems, 8%
NCO, 6%
Logistical Support, 6%

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Desk Sergeant
Desk Sergeant vs Platoon Sergeant

Updated January 8, 2025

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