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First officer vs patrol sergeant

The differences between first officers and patrol sergeants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a first officer has an average salary of $82,510, which is higher than the $56,638 average annual salary of a patrol sergeant.

The top three skills for a first officer include FAA, CFR and ATP. The most important skills for a patrol sergeant are patrol, law enforcement agencies, and public safety.

First officer vs patrol sergeant overview

First OfficerPatrol Sergeant
Yearly salary$82,510$56,638
Hourly rate$39.67$27.23
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs89,89922,591
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age4040
Years of experience--

What does a first officer do?

A First Officer is focused on operating the aircraft in a safe and economical manner. They also are responsible for maintaining a high personal standard of discipline.

What does a patrol sergeant do?

A Patrol Sergeant oversees and performs security operations on an assigned shift. They conduct vehicular patrol of an assigned area, investigate the scenes of accidents, and make arrests, when required.

First officer vs patrol sergeant salary

First officers and patrol sergeants have different pay scales, as shown below.

First OfficerPatrol Sergeant
Average salary$82,510$56,638
Salary rangeBetween $56,000 And $119,000Between $44,000 And $72,000
Highest paying CityBuffalo, NY-
Highest paying stateNew York-
Best paying companyLynden-
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between first officer and patrol sergeant education

There are a few differences between a first officer and a patrol sergeant in terms of educational background:

First OfficerPatrol Sergeant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common majorAviationCriminal Justice
Most common collegeSUNY FarmingdalePennsylvania State University

First officer vs patrol sergeant demographics

Here are the differences between first officers' and patrol sergeants' demographics:

First OfficerPatrol Sergeant
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 87.9% Female, 12.1%Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 3.5% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 3.5% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between first officer and patrol sergeant duties and responsibilities

First officer example responsibilities.

  • Execute and monitor strategic merchandising plans to achieve revenue objectives and reduce expenditures while ensuring payroll remains within budget.
  • Experience with EFIS, FMS and RNAV.
  • Base on the Embraer [] fleet
  • Operate a Lear 35 and 60
  • Contact drone companies in the UK for possible collaboration.
  • Discover new construction trends in the UK via showrooms.
    • Show more

Patrol sergeant example responsibilities.

  • Manage department's firearm ammunition and ensure supplies are adequate and additional items order as needed.
  • Used and enforce during combat risk management composite and procedures, risk management analysis, always safety conscious.
  • Conduct investigations and any disciplinary action need for any complaint or incident involving patrol officers.
  • Communicate with fellow patrol officers in order to coordinate more effective task completion and conflict resolution.
  • Designate firearms proficiency officer responsible for maintaining individual officer annual firearms qualifications and associate maintenance of training records.
  • Serve arrest, bench warrants, subpoenas, domestic violence orders and other court paperwork.
    • Show more

First officer vs patrol sergeant skills

Common first officer skills
  • FAA, 32%
  • CFR, 27%
  • ATP, 24%
  • PIC, 5%
  • Pilot-In-Command, 4%
  • Flight Operations, 1%
Common patrol sergeant skills
  • Patrol, 44%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 6%
  • Public Safety, 5%
  • Personnel Problems, 5%
  • Emergency Situations, 4%
  • Field Training, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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