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The differences between patrol officers and parking enforcement officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a parking enforcement officer has an average salary of $38,755, 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 parking enforcement officer are parking enforcement, patrol, and motor vehicle.
| Patrol Officer | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $35,621 | $38,755 |
| Hourly rate | $17.13 | $18.63 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 123,265 | 120,053 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| 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 parking enforcement officer is responsible for monitoring parking lots, ramps, and streets to make sure that drivers adhere to the parking laws and regulations. It is their duty to patrol assigned areas and monitor parking meters, issuing citations on improperly or illegally parked vehicles. There are also times when they must call for towing services, assess suspicious vehicles and scan their plates, and testify in courts as necessary. Moreover, a parking enforcement officer must maintain records of all issued tickets and respond to concerns professionally.
Patrol officers and parking enforcement officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patrol Officer | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Average salary | $35,621 | $38,755 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $46,000 | Between $28,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Bellingham, WA |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Washington |
| Best paying company | Mount St. Mary's University | City of Detroit |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a patrol officer and a parking enforcement officer in terms of educational background:
| Patrol Officer | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| 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 parking enforcement officers' demographics:
| Patrol Officer | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% |
| 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, 12.3% Unknown, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 11.1% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 24% |