Detention sergeant vs jail supervisor

The differences between detention sergeants and jail supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a detention sergeant and a jail supervisor. Additionally, a jail supervisor has an average salary of $41,232, which is higher than the $39,115 average annual salary of a detention sergeant.

The top three skills for a detention sergeant include direct supervision, booking and emergency situations. The most important skills for a jail supervisor are booking, professional behavior, and on-the-job training.

Detention sergeant vs jail supervisor overview

	Detention Sergeant	Jail Supervisor
Yearly salary	$39,115	$41,232
Hourly rate	$18.81	$19.82
Growth rate	-10%	-10%
Number of jobs	470	931
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Detention sergeant vs jail supervisor salary

Detention sergeants and jail supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Detention Sergeant	Jail Supervisor
Average salary	$39,115	$41,232
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $52,000	Between $29,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between detention sergeant and jail supervisor education

There are a few differences between a detention sergeant and a jail supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Detention Sergeant	Jail Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Detention sergeant vs jail supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between detention sergeants' and jail supervisors' demographics:

	Detention Sergeant	Jail Supervisor
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 0.6% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 14.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 0.6% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	18%	18%

Differences between detention sergeant and jail supervisor duties and responsibilities

Detention sergeant example responsibilities.

Monitor and manage enlisted promotion boards and actions; publish promotion orders for soldiers being promote to SGT and SSG.
Conduct classroom instruction in engagement techniques, limit visibility gunnery, target classification, range determination, and field reconnaissance.
Ensure all ammunition are accounted for upon issuing/receiving from assign officers.

Jail supervisor example responsibilities.

Job description includes booking in and managing inmates in correctional facility.
Handle booking process and paperwork as well as all dispatch duties including radio, call, and NCIC logs.
Direct tactical deployment of weapon systems in intricate combat situations complying with international law and observe practices.
Issue weapons and ammunition for transportation officers.

Detention sergeant vs jail supervisor skills

Common detention sergeant skills

Direct Supervision, 30%
Booking, 20%
Emergency Situations, 15%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 10%
CPR, 8%
Disciplinary Actions, 6%

Common jail supervisor skills

Booking, 39%
Professional Behavior, 14%
On-The-Job Training, 13%
Public Safety, 13%
Emergency Situations, 10%
Identify Issues, 10%

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Protective Service Industry
Detention Sergeant
Detention Sergeant vs Jail Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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