Detention officer vs law enforcement officer

The differences between detention officers and law enforcement officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detention officer has an average salary of $40,087, which is higher than the $39,219 average annual salary of a law enforcement officer.

The top three skills for a detention officer include detention facility, direct supervision and booking. The most important skills for a law enforcement officer are patrol, public safety, and emergency situations.

Detention officer vs law enforcement officer overview

	Detention Officer	Law Enforcement Officer
Yearly salary	$40,087	$39,219
Hourly rate	$19.27	$18.86
Growth rate	-10%	3%
Number of jobs	116,529	105,817
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

What does a detention officer do?

The role of detention officers is to supervise inmates in state detention facilities. They are responsible for ensuring the safe imprisonment of detainees, managing conflict between detainees, and reporting inappropriate behavior to the warden. Other responsibilities include providing inmates the opportunity to call a lawyer or a relative, performing periodic patrol of the jail area, and supervising inmates during meals and related activities. They are also responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of personal and cell equipment and distributing medicines to inmates as directed.

What does a law enforcement officer do?

The duties of a law enforcement officer depend on their line of work or agency of employment. In general, they are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations, prioritizing the safety of citizens and the protection of the city. Typically, their responsibilities include patrolling their designated area, responding to distress, monitoring suspicious activities and characters, conducting investigations and inspections, and coordinating various services to assist citizens. Moreover, as a law enforcement officer, it is essential to serve as a role model for citizens and uphold the oath to serve and protect.

Detention officer vs law enforcement officer salary

Detention officers and law enforcement officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Detention Officer	Law Enforcement Officer
Average salary	$40,087	$39,219
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $54,000	Between $30,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Washington
Best paying company	Bering Straits	University of Nebraska System
Best paying industry	Insurance	Government

Differences between detention officer and law enforcement officer education

There are a few differences between a detention officer and a law enforcement officer in terms of educational background:

	Detention Officer	Law Enforcement Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	Pennsylvania State University

Detention officer vs law enforcement officer demographics

Here are the differences between detention officers' and law enforcement officers' demographics:

	Detention Officer	Law Enforcement Officer
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0%	Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.1% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	7%

Differences between detention officer and law enforcement officer duties and responsibilities

Detention officer example responsibilities.

Train and manage officers of booking, procedures and computer knowledge skills and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Manage booking area and process all non-English speaking detainees; streamline process and reduce confrontational situations through effective communication and leadership.
Maintain certification in CPR, gun qualification, and any specialize training offer.
Ensure that all require KYC documentation is on file before accounts are open.
Review and analyze KYC information on potential clients, brokerage counterparties, etc.
Perform CPR when necessary, and provide the transportation of inmates to the medical facility.

Law enforcement officer example responsibilities.

Attend NCO leadership school and receive training on how to properly, and effectively manage personnel.
Accomplish scheduled and random security checks of control and classify areas to ensure compliance with DOD resource protection guidelines.
Develop and manage firearms training programs, including weapons selection and qualification standards.
Operate QRV solo, backing up BLS ambulances.
Certify in defensive tactics, firearms, driver's training, professional first aid and CPR.
DOT and FMCSA regulation enforcement.

Detention officer vs law enforcement officer skills

Common detention officer skills

Detention Facility, 14%
Direct Supervision, 13%
Booking, 11%
Law Enforcement, 10%
CPR, 5%
Security Checks, 4%

Common law enforcement officer skills

Patrol, 26%
Public Safety, 10%
Emergency Situations, 7%
Criminal Justice, 6%
CPR, 3%
Metal Detectors, 3%

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Detention Officer
Detention Officer vs Law Enforcement Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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