Petty officer demographics and statistics in the US
Petty officer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates petty officer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our petty officer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about petty officers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 19,436 petty officers currently employed in the United States.
- 17.4% of all petty officers are women, while 82.6% are men.
- The average petty officer age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of petty officers is White (56.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.8%), Black or African American (12.4%) and Asian (5.6%).
- In 2022, women earned 98% of what men earned.
- 6% of all petty officers are LGBT.
- Petty officers are 51% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Petty officer demographics by:
Petty officer gender statistics
17.4% of petty officers are women and 82.6% of petty officers are men.
- Male, 82.6%
- Female, 17.4%
Petty officer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 82.6% |
| Female | 17.4% |
Petty officer gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$41,278
Female income
$40,468
Petty officer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in petty officer positions over time. Currently, 17.4% of petty officers are female.
Petty officer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 84.48% | 15.52% |
| 2011 | 83.57% | 16.43% |
| 2012 | 84.46% | 15.54% |
| 2013 | 84.54% | 15.46% |
| 2014 | 83.93% | 16.07% |
| 2015 | 84.45% | 15.55% |
| 2016 | 84.17% | 15.83% |
| 2017 | 83.25% | 16.75% |
| 2018 | 83.88% | 16.12% |
| 2019 | 83.52% | 16.48% |
| 2020 | 81.92% | 18.08% |
| 2021 | 82.57% | 17.43% |
Petty officer related jobs gender ratio
We compared petty officers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, rescue boat operator and bodyguard have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Playground Monitor | 18% | 82% |
| School Crossing Guard | 21% | 79% |
| Crossing Guard | 23% | 77% |
| Petty Officer | 83% | 17% |
| Bouncer | 94% | 6% |
| Bodyguard | 96% | 4% |
| Rescue Boat Operator | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Petty officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among petty officers is White, which makes up 56.4% of all petty officers. Comparatively, 18.8% of petty officers are Hispanic or Latino and 12.4% of petty officers are Black or African American.
- White, 56.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.8%
- Black or African American, 12.4%
- Asian, 5.6%
- Unknown, 5.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
Petty officer race
| Petty officer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 56.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.8% |
| Black or African American | 12.4% |
| Asian | 5.6% |
| Unknown | 5.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.5% |
Petty officer race and ethnicity over time
See how petty officer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Petty officer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.93% | 12.72% | 4.36% | 13.62% |
| 2011 | 63.87% | 12.66% | 4.34% | 15.20% |
| 2012 | 63.54% | 12.94% | 4.26% | 15.31% |
| 2013 | 63.87% | 12.50% | 4.52% | 15.40% |
| 2014 | 62.55% | 13.35% | 4.23% | 15.73% |
| 2015 | 62.19% | 12.78% | 4.71% | 16.18% |
| 2016 | 61.82% | 12.54% | 4.50% | 17.06% |
| 2017 | 61.71% | 13.46% | 4.16% | 16.86% |
| 2018 | 61.96% | 12.34% | 4.36% | 16.87% |
| 2019 | 60.95% | 13.06% | 5.18% | 16.74% |
| 2020 | 56.29% | 13.62% | 5.23% | 18.12% |
| 2021 | 56.40% | 12.39% | 5.56% | 18.76% |
Petty officer wage gap by race
According to our data, white petty officers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown petty officers have the lowest average salary at $40,281.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $40,281 |
| White | $41,816 |
| Black or African American | $41,465 |
| Asian | $41,763 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $41,082 |
Average petty officer age
See how the average age of petty officers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Petty officer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 45 | 41 |
| Unknown | 37.5 | 39 |
| Asian | 45 | 44 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 | 36.5 |
| White | 45 | 47 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 38.5 | 37 |
Petty officer age breakdown
The average age of petty officers is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the petty officer population.
Petty officer age breakdown
| Petty Officer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 22% |
Petty officer educational attainment
The most common degree for petty officers is bachelor's degree, with 40% of petty officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 25% and high school diploma degree at 24%.
- Bachelor's, 40%
- High School Diploma, 25%
- Associate, 24%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Petty officers by degree level
| Petty officer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 40% |
| High School Diploma | 25% |
| Associate | 24% |
| Master's | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Petty officer jobs you might like
Petty officer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, petty officers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $51,120 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, petty officers earn a median annual income of $44,541 compared to $40,095 for petty officers with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $51,120 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,638 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,541 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $40,095 |
Petty officer employment statistics
Most petty officers work for a private in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where petty officers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where petty officers work.
Petty officer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 11% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 19% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 18% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 13% |
| > 10,000 employees | 31% |
Petty officer jobs by company type
Employees with the petty officer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most petty officers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Petty officer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 11% |
| Public | 23% |
| Private | 51% |
| Government | 16% |
Petty officer jobs by industry
The most common industries for petty officers are manufacturing, government and professional.
Petty officer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fortune 500 | 14% |
| Manufacturing | 13% |
| Government | 13% |
| Professional | 11% |
| Education | 8% |
| Transportation | 6% |
| Retail | 6% |
| Finance | 6% |
| Utilities | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Energy | 3% |
| Automotive | 3% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
Petty officer turnover and employment statistics
Petty officer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for petty officers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Petty officer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Petty officer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.24% |
| 2011 | 11.62% |
| 2012 | 10.40% |
| 2013 | 9.08% |
| 2014 | 8.18% |
| 2015 | 7.21% |
| 2016 | 6.47% |
| 2017 | 5.77% |
| 2018 | 5.47% |
| 2019 | 4.75% |
| 2020 | 6.85% |
| 2021 | 7.46% |
Average petty officer tenure
The average petty officer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 8,605 petty officers resumes in Zippia's database.
Petty officer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 4% |
| 1-2 years | 16% |
| 3-4 years | 39% |
| 5-7 years | 22% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Petty officer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of petty officers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Flagger | 3.84% | 29,023 |
| Petty Officer | 6.29% | - |
| Playground Monitor | 7.17% | 4,816 |
| Lifeguard/Swim Instructor | 7.20% | 27,819 |
| Skip Locator | 8.27% | 1,785 |
| Baggage Screener | 15.51% | 1,588 |
Similar petty officer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Flagger | 3.84% | 29,023 |
| Playground Monitor | 7.17% | 4,816 |
| Lifeguard/Swim Instructor | 7.20% | 27,819 |
| Skip Locator | 8.27% | 1,785 |
| Baggage Screener | 15.51% | 1,588 |
Foreign languages spoken by petty officers
The most common foreign language among petty officers is Spanish at 51.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.7% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 5.0%.
- Spanish, 51.1%
- French, 6.7%
- Japanese, 5.0%
- Carrier, 5.0%
- Italian, 4.4%
- Other, 27.8%
Petty officer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 51.1% |
| French | 6.7% |
| Japanese | 5.0% |
| Carrier | 5.0% |
| Italian | 4.4% |
| Other | 27.8% |
