First sergeant vs operations sergeant

The differences between first sergeants and operations 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 $52,200 average annual salary of an operations sergeant.

The top three skills for a first sergeant include personnel actions, professional development and general supervision. The most important skills for an operations sergeant are combat, logistical support, and professional development.

First sergeant vs operations sergeant overview

	First Sergeant	Operations Sergeant
Yearly salary	$98,755	$52,200
Hourly rate	$47.48	$25.10
Growth rate	-	6%
Number of jobs	2,487	57,018
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

First sergeant vs operations sergeant salary

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

	First Sergeant	Operations Sergeant
Average salary	$98,755	$52,200
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $138,000	Between $38,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between first sergeant and operations sergeant education

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

	First Sergeant	Operations Sergeant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	Pennsylvania State University

First sergeant vs operations sergeant demographics

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

	First Sergeant	Operations Sergeant
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 90.4% Female, 9.6%	Male, 90.1% Female, 9.9%
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, 11.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between first sergeant and operations 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.

Operations sergeant example responsibilities.

Manage and compile all personnel records for enrollment into ROTC.
Plan, implement, and manage the maintenance of 16 CH-47D helicopters and all platoon equipment, value at $528M.
Orchestrate squadron recognition programs, manage enlisted promotion recommendations and alleviate all airmen quality force issues.
Develop and execute demanding and realistic training exercises to ensure operational readiness of attendees to ensure troops are ready for combat.
Update the training calendar for the ROTC battalion every week.
Coordinate and disseminate weekly flight hour reports and PowerPoint presentations for monthly board and weekly staff meetings.

First sergeant vs operations sergeant skills

Common first sergeant skills

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

Common operations sergeant skills

Combat, 13%
Logistical Support, 9%
Professional Development, 6%
Tactical Operations, 5%
Training Programs, 4%
Law Enforcement, 4%

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First Sergeant
First Sergeant vs Operations Sergeant

Updated January 8, 2025

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