First sergeant vs detective sergeant

The differences between first sergeants and detective sergeants 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 $52,546 average annual salary of a detective sergeant.

The top three skills for a first sergeant include personnel actions, professional development and general supervision. The most important skills for a detective sergeant are patrol, evidence collection, and law enforcement agencies.

First sergeant vs detective sergeant overview

	First Sergeant	Detective Sergeant
Yearly salary	$98,755	$52,546
Hourly rate	$47.48	$25.26
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	2,487	938
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

First sergeant vs detective sergeant salary

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

	First Sergeant	Detective Sergeant
Average salary	$98,755	$52,546
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $138,000	Between $40,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between first sergeant and detective sergeant education

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

	First Sergeant	Detective Sergeant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	Pennsylvania State University

First sergeant vs detective sergeant demographics

Here are the differences between first sergeants' and detective sergeants' demographics:

	First Sergeant	Detective Sergeant
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 90.4% Female, 9.6%	Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3%
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, 10.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 1.8% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between first sergeant and detective sergeant 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.

Detective sergeant example responsibilities.

Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Assist in writing standards for certification for the firearms unit.
Supervise detective squad, identify monthly investigation outcomes, create staffing schedules, perform stake-outs, monitor wire taps ,
Establish probable cause to obtain warrants, leading to arrests and the seizure of narcotics, firearms and other contraband.
Deliver subpoenas and other documents as requested by attorneys.
Supervise detectives attaining search warrants, subpoenas and financial/phone/computer records.

First sergeant vs detective sergeant skills

Common first sergeant skills

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

Common detective sergeant skills

Patrol, 20%
Evidence Collection, 10%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 10%
Homicide, 6%
Burglary, 4%
Criminal Cases, 4%

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First Sergeant
First Sergeant vs Detective Sergeant

Updated January 8, 2025

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