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The differences between patrol officers and detention officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detention officer has an average salary of $40,087, 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 detention officer are detention facility, direct supervision, and booking.
| Patrol Officer | Detention Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $35,621 | $40,087 |
| Hourly rate | $17.13 | $19.27 |
| Growth rate | 3% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 123,265 | 116,529 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| 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.
The role of detention officers is to supervise inmates in state detention facilities. They are responsible for ensuring the safe imprisonment of detainees, managing conflict between detainees, and reporting inappropriate behavior to the warden. Other responsibilities include providing inmates the opportunity to call a lawyer or a relative, performing periodic patrol of the jail area, and supervising inmates during meals and related activities. They are also responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of personal and cell equipment and distributing medicines to inmates as directed.
Patrol officers and detention officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patrol Officer | Detention Officer | |
| Average salary | $35,621 | $40,087 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $46,000 | Between $29,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Mount St. Mary's University | Bering Straits |
| Best paying industry | Government | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a patrol officer and a detention officer in terms of educational background:
| Patrol Officer | Detention Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | - |
Here are the differences between patrol officers' and detention officers' demographics:
| Patrol Officer | Detention Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% | Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0% |
| 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, 15.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |