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Patrolman vs law enforcement officer

The differences between patrolmen and law enforcement officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a law enforcement officer has an average salary of $39,219, which is higher than the $38,920 average annual salary of a patrolman.

The top three skills for a patrolman include patrol, law enforcement and public safety. The most important skills for a law enforcement officer are patrol, public safety, and emergency situations.

Patrolman vs law enforcement officer overview

PatrolmanLaw Enforcement Officer
Yearly salary$38,920$39,219
Hourly rate$18.71$18.86
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs2,194105,817
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4040
Years of experience--

Patrolman vs law enforcement officer salary

Patrolmen and law enforcement officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

PatrolmanLaw Enforcement Officer
Average salary$38,920$39,219
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $51,000Between $30,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City-Seattle, WA
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-University of Nebraska System
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between patrolman and law enforcement officer education

There are a few differences between a patrolman and a law enforcement officer in terms of educational background:

PatrolmanLaw Enforcement Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachPennsylvania State University

Patrolman vs law enforcement officer demographics

Here are the differences between patrolmen' and law enforcement officers' demographics:

PatrolmanLaw Enforcement Officer
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 91.3% Female, 8.7%Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 3.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.1% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between patrolman and law enforcement officer duties and responsibilities

Patrolman example responsibilities.

  • Apprehend violators and log evidence, complete require USAF and DoD forms, and accomplish report.
  • Protect community through regular patrol procedures, follow standards and protocol to ensure public safety and control hostile situations.
  • Investigate suspicious situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area promote good community relations.
  • Provide CPR coordination/training for the public.
  • Instruct and certify police officers and firefighters in CPR and a.
  • Assist other DPS divisions with felony investigations, such as narcotics smuggling.
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Law enforcement officer example responsibilities.

  • Attend NCO leadership school and receive training on how to properly, and effectively manage personnel.
  • Accomplish scheduled and random security checks of control and classify areas to ensure compliance with DOD resource protection guidelines.
  • Develop and manage firearms training programs, including weapons selection and qualification standards.
  • Operate QRV solo, backing up BLS ambulances.
  • Certify in defensive tactics, firearms, driver's training, professional first aid and CPR.
  • DOT and FMCSA regulation enforcement.
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Patrolman vs law enforcement officer skills

Common patrolman skills
  • Patrol, 29%
  • Law Enforcement, 14%
  • Public Safety, 10%
  • Non-Emergency Calls, 3%
  • Crime Scenes, 3%
  • Traffic Control, 2%
Common law enforcement officer skills
  • Patrol, 26%
  • Public Safety, 10%
  • Emergency Situations, 7%
  • Criminal Justice, 6%
  • CPR, 3%
  • Metal Detectors, 3%

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