Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between patrol sergeants and patrol officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a patrol sergeant has an average salary of $56,638, which is higher than the $35,621 average annual salary of a patrol officer.
The top three skills for a patrol sergeant include patrol, law enforcement agencies and public safety. The most important skills for a patrol officer are patrol, customer service, and public safety.
| Patrol Sergeant | Patrol Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $56,638 | $35,621 |
| Hourly rate | $27.23 | $17.13 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 22,591 | 123,265 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A Patrol Sergeant oversees and performs security operations on an assigned shift. They conduct vehicular patrol of an assigned area, investigate the scenes of accidents, and make arrests, when required.
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.
Patrol sergeants and patrol officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patrol Sergeant | Patrol Officer | |
| Average salary | $56,638 | $35,621 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $72,000 | Between $27,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | - | Mount St. Mary's University |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a patrol sergeant and a patrol officer in terms of educational background:
| Patrol Sergeant | Patrol Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between patrol sergeants' and patrol officers' demographics:
| Patrol Sergeant | Patrol Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 3.5% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |