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The differences between lieutenants and chiefs of police can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chief of police has an average salary of $77,582, which is higher than the $47,781 average annual salary of a lieutenant.
The top three skills for a lieutenant include public safety, patrol and direct supervision. The most important skills for a chief of police are patrol, public safety, and criminal justice.
| Lieutenant | Chief Of Police | |
| Yearly salary | $47,781 | $77,582 |
| Hourly rate | $22.97 | $37.30 |
| Growth rate | - | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 79,272 | 69,344 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A lieutenant is responsible for overseeing operations in police departments, evaluating departmental cases, cooperating in law enforcement investigations, monitoring internal activities, and ensuring the safety and security of the premises. Lieutenants also enforce rules and regulations for everyone's strict compliance, inspect police department facilities, and identify serious offenses. They also confiscate violating items, document any evidence for further investigation. A lieutenant must have excellent leadership skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the law regulations to maintain the credibility and integrity of the police operations.
A Chief Of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department. They plan, coordinate, supervise, and evaluate police department operations.
Lieutenants and chiefs of police have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lieutenant | Chief Of Police | |
| Average salary | $47,781 | $77,582 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $55,000 | Between $49,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Denver, CO | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Colorado | Maine |
| Best paying company | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | Ohlone College |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a lieutenant and a chief of police in terms of educational background:
| Lieutenant | Chief Of Police | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between lieutenants' and chiefs of police' demographics:
| Lieutenant | Chief Of Police | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |