Patrol commander vs platoon sergeant

The differences between patrol commanders and platoon sergeants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a platoon sergeant has an average salary of $95,863, which is higher than the $84,074 average annual salary of a patrol commander.

The top three skills for a patrol commander include patrol, emergency situations and public safety. The most important skills for a platoon sergeant are safety procedures, combat, and professional development.

Patrol commander vs platoon sergeant overview

	Patrol Commander	Platoon Sergeant
Yearly salary	$84,074	$95,863
Hourly rate	$40.42	$46.09
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	21,014	357
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Patrol commander vs platoon sergeant salary

Patrol commanders and platoon sergeants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patrol Commander	Platoon Sergeant
Average salary	$84,074	$95,863
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $128,000	Between $68,000 And $134,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between patrol commander and platoon sergeant education

There are a few differences between a patrol commander and a platoon sergeant in terms of educational background:

	Patrol Commander	Platoon Sergeant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	Pennsylvania State University

Patrol commander vs platoon sergeant demographics

Here are the differences between patrol commanders' and platoon sergeants' demographics:

	Patrol Commander	Platoon Sergeant
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 96.7% Female, 3.3%	Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 1.8% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between patrol commander and platoon sergeant duties and responsibilities

Patrol commander example responsibilities.

Manage overall daily operations of patrol division / communications.
Supervise the patrol division, including support personnel and code enforcement operations.
Receive and implement combat orders and direct deployment of personnel in offensive, defensive and retrograde operations.
Arrange quarterly Compstat, take complaint reports (CRs), handle special attentions and conduct roll call training.

Platoon sergeant example responsibilities.

Orchestrate squadron recognition programs, manage enlisted promotion recommendations and alleviate all airmen quality force issues.
Mentore and maintain accountability of soldiers within the platoon, providing positive guidance for their personal and professional development.
Train ROTC students during drills.
Award combat action badge for duty in OIF.
Assist in training and mentoring college ROTC cadets.
Evaluate training processes as they pertain to a broad range of equipment, organizations, and doctrine.

Patrol commander vs platoon sergeant skills

Common patrol commander skills

Patrol, 48%
Emergency Situations, 10%
Public Safety, 7%
Security Operations, 5%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
Citizen Complaints, 3%

Common platoon sergeant skills

Safety Procedures, 20%
Combat, 15%
Professional Development, 8%
Weapons Systems, 8%
NCO, 6%
Logistical Support, 6%

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Patrol Commander
Patrol Commander vs Platoon Sergeant

Updated January 8, 2025

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