Highway patrol officer vs peace officer

The differences between highway patrol officers and peace officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a highway patrol officer has an average salary of $38,315, which is higher than the $37,631 average annual salary of a peace officer.

The top three skills for a highway patrol officer include patrol, highway patrol and public safety. The most important skills for a peace officer are patrol, public safety, and motor vehicle.

Highway patrol officer vs peace officer overview

	Highway Patrol Officer	Peace Officer
Yearly salary	$38,315	$37,631
Hourly rate	$18.42	$18.09
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	76,558	118,690
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Highway patrol officer vs peace officer salary

Highway patrol officers and peace officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Highway Patrol Officer	Peace Officer
Average salary	$38,315	$37,631
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $48,000	Between $30,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between highway patrol officer and peace officer education

There are a few differences between a highway patrol officer and a peace officer in terms of educational background:

	Highway Patrol Officer	Peace Officer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Bakersfield

Highway patrol officer vs peace officer demographics

Here are the differences between highway patrol officers' and peace officers' demographics:

	Highway Patrol Officer	Peace Officer
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 84.9% Female, 15.1%	Male, 77.4% Female, 22.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 2.9% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between highway patrol officer and peace officer duties and responsibilities

Highway patrol officer example responsibilities.

Manage surveillance of DUI traffic offenders in Jacksonville
Patrol an assign area on a departmentally issue motorcycle in the protection of life and property.
Handle security patrols, civil disturbance, criminal investigation, accident investigation and firearms certification training to local officers.
Manage surveillance of DUI traffic offenders in Jacksonville

Peace officer example responsibilities.

Lead process improvement committee for officers to communicate with senior leadership desire changes for patrol division.
Conduct complex criminal investigations in correctional, patrol and investigative unit settings.
Administer CPR and first aid.
Train in CPR and other immediate care for self and others.
Monitor security systems, including CCTV, fire systems, and sensitive content alarms.
Experience in command central where CCTV cameras are monitored, and general information is relayed to the public and co-workers.

Highway patrol officer vs peace officer skills

Common highway patrol officer skills

Patrol, 46%
Highway Patrol, 15%
Public Safety, 13%
Field Training, 7%
Vehicle Inspections, 7%
Traffic Crashes, 2%

Common peace officer skills

Patrol, 26%
Public Safety, 12%
Motor Vehicle, 7%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%
Emergency Situations, 7%
Incident Reports, 4%

Highway Patrol Officer vs. similar jobs

Highway Patrol Officer related careers

Highway Patrol Officer related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Protective Service Industry
Highway Patrol Officer
Highway Patrol Officer vs Peace Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse protective service jobs