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The differences between patrol officers and security officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a patrol officer has an average salary of $35,621, which is higher than the $31,101 average annual salary of a security officer.
The top three skills for a patrol officer include patrol, customer service and public safety. The most important skills for a security officer are customer service, ladders, and patrol.
| Patrol Officer | Security Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $35,621 | $31,101 |
| Hourly rate | $17.13 | $14.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 123,265 | 125,879 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| 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 security officer is responsible for maintaining the peace and safety of everyone by regularly patrolling and monitoring surveillance equipment within the assigned premises. Security officers' duties also include reporting suspicious behaviors, restricting trespassers and unauthorized personnel from entering the establishment, providing incident reports for policy violations, and adhering to the standard protocols and legal requirements set by the management. Security offers must also have excellent decision-making and critical-thinking skills and extensive knowledge of emergency drills in case any unfortunate circumstances arise.
Patrol officers and security officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patrol Officer | Security Officer | |
| Average salary | $35,621 | $31,101 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $46,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Washington |
| Best paying company | Mount St. Mary's University | Battelle |
| Best paying industry | Government | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a patrol officer and a security officer in terms of educational background:
| Patrol Officer | Security Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | - |
Here are the differences between patrol officers' and security officers' demographics:
| Patrol Officer | Security Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% |
| 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, 12.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |