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The differences between patrol officers and border patrol agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a border patrol agent has an average salary of $46,060, which is higher than the $35,621 average annual salary of a patrol officer.
The top three skills for a patrol officer include patrol, customer service and public safety. The most important skills for a border patrol agent are patrol, CBP, and DHS.
| Patrol Officer | Border Patrol Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $35,621 | $46,060 |
| Hourly rate | $17.13 | $22.14 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 123,265 | 43,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The job of patrol officers is to enforce ordinances, laws, prevent crime, control crowds, arrest violators, and regulate traffic. They also perform other duties that may include monitoring an assigned area for unauthorized or suspicious activity, responding to reports of emergencies and possible crime such as robberies, and building good relationships with community members. To be a successful patrol officer, you should have solid judgment, excellent communication skills, and decision-making skills in stressful situations.
A border patrol agent is a government employee who provides the security of international land borders and coastal waters between ports of entry. Border patrol agents are required to apprehend illegal border crossers, criminals, and terrorists from crossing a country to stop them from carrying out illegal activities and attacks. They work closely with other local and federal agencies to ensure legal immigrants, enterprises, and commerce remain unimpeded. Border patrol agents must also use electronic surveillance equipment and respond to electronic sensor alarms in remote areas.
Patrol officers and border patrol agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patrol Officer | Border Patrol Agent | |
| Average salary | $35,621 | $46,060 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $46,000 | Between $31,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Mount St. Mary's University | Department of Homeland Security |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a patrol officer and a border patrol agent in terms of educational background:
| Patrol Officer | Border Patrol Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between patrol officers' and border patrol agents' demographics:
| Patrol Officer | Border Patrol Agent | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% | Male, 86.0% Female, 14.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 3.5% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% Asian, 2.9% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |