First sergeant vs deputy commander

The differences between first sergeants and deputy commanders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a first sergeant has an average salary of $98,755, which is higher than the $57,580 average annual salary of a deputy commander.

The top three skills for a first sergeant include personnel actions, professional development and general supervision. The most important skills for a deputy commander are logistics support, oversight, and emergency operations.

First sergeant vs deputy commander overview

	First Sergeant	Deputy Commander
Yearly salary	$98,755	$57,580
Hourly rate	$47.48	$27.68
Growth rate	-	6%
Number of jobs	2,487	1,885
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

First sergeant vs deputy commander salary

First sergeants and deputy commanders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	First Sergeant	Deputy Commander
Average salary	$98,755	$57,580
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $138,000	Between $41,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between first sergeant and deputy commander education

There are a few differences between a first sergeant and a deputy commander in terms of educational background:

	First Sergeant	Deputy Commander
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	California State University - Bakersfield

First sergeant vs deputy commander demographics

Here are the differences between first sergeants' and deputy commanders' demographics:

	First Sergeant	Deputy Commander
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 90.4% Female, 9.6%	Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between first sergeant and deputy commander duties and responsibilities

First sergeant example responsibilities.

Supervise and manage the refit and reset of the unit upon redeployment.
Manage food, water, ammunition, and equipment for the squad and ensure everyone ration accordingly.
Demonstrate unparalleled proficiency in managing operations and administrative requirements in a combat environment, with superior technical and tactical adeptness.
Provide leadership and knowledge of federal shipping and logistics regulations by managing adherence to all policies and procedures from higher headquarters.
Use PowerPoint to create briefs and training slides.
Develop a full training program in accordance with USAF protocols.

Deputy commander example responsibilities.

Facilitate strategic planning efforts and public-private partnerships to maximize results in accomplishing DHS and USCG missions.
Develop implementation strategy for the DoD's largest single MILCON project in Asia.
Establish protocols and procedures for deployment and redeployment in support of the organization's mission.
Develop new legal deployment doctrine that are adopted for all ANG units around the country.
Develop long-range vision, strategy, and implementation plans for intelligence support to largest AOR in DOD.
Direct the daily operations that provide aggressive worldwide sourcing for mission capable requisitions and current and accurate statuses to senior leadership.

First sergeant vs deputy commander skills

Common first sergeant skills

Personnel Actions, 20%
Professional Development, 11%
General Supervision, 7%
Combat, 7%
Logistical Support, 6%
Personnel Accountability, 5%

Common deputy commander skills

Logistics Support, 13%
Oversight, 13%
Emergency Operations, 9%
Human Resources, 7%
Direct Supervision, 5%
Law Enforcement, 4%

First Sergeant vs. similar jobs

First Sergeant related careers

First Sergeant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Protective Service Industry
First Sergeant
First Sergeant vs Deputy Commander

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse protective service jobs