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Petty officer vs officer

The differences between petty officers and officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an officer has an average salary of $52,506, which is higher than the $39,336 average annual salary of a petty officer.

The top three skills for a petty officer include preventative maintenance, law enforcement and logistics. The most important skills for an officer are patrol, customer service, and public safety.

Petty officer vs officer overview

Petty OfficerOfficer
Yearly salary$39,336$52,506
Hourly rate$18.91$25.24
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs69,776114,267
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age4343
Years of experience--

What does a petty officer do?

A petty officer is a non-commissioned navy officer who is responsible for supervising the day-to-day activities of junior sailors and making sure that they have a productive day. Petty officers with more experience are expected to provide training in basic skills to their junior petty officers. Once a petty officer is reprimanded, first-class petty officers may conduct discipline by ordering those reprimanded to do extra military instruction or extra work within the division. Petty officers are also required to meet all the requirements for surface warfare qualification.

What does an officer do?

An officer is responsible for managing the daily operations of the assigned area, ensuring its peace and security by monitoring and reporting unusual and suspicious activities. Officers are the ones enforcing strict safety protocols and procedures to maintain the order within the premises. They also coordinate with law enforcement agencies in conducting appropriate investigations for any violating cases. An officer must be highly-knowledgeable of the law policies, as well as possessing excellent leadership skills to manage the members under the officer's patrol.

Petty officer vs officer salary

Petty officers and officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Petty OfficerOfficer
Average salary$39,336$52,506
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $62,000Between $26,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City-New York, NY
Highest paying state-New York
Best paying company-Meta
Best paying industry--

Differences between petty officer and officer education

There are a few differences between a petty officer and an officer in terms of educational background:

Petty OfficerOfficer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Petty officer vs officer demographics

Here are the differences between petty officers' and officers' demographics:

Petty OfficerOfficer
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 82.6% Female, 17.4%Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 5.6% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%Black or African American, 15.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between petty officer and officer duties and responsibilities

Petty officer example responsibilities.

  • Lead three CPO's and 50 maintenance personnel in target maintenance planning on two C-2A aircraft.
  • Manage CPR and first aid program that involve directing quarterly CPR and first aid classes while tracking employee s certifications.
  • Manage the day to day operations of USS Olympia's EKMS account to include support and compliance for EKMS Visits/inspection.
  • Manage 13 ready-service-lockers containing all shipboard ordinances while personally keeping duty gunner's mate and ammunition handling qualify.
  • Supervise sailors in responsible tasks relate to managing inventory, facilitating laundry operations, and maintaining secure watch detail.
  • Assist LPO and ALPO as needed.
  • Show more

Officer example responsibilities.

  • Lead 50 2nd lieutenants, manage schedules, and ensure timely completion of missions.
  • Achieve highest ranking of Lt.
  • Manage social media (Facebook): upload pictures, post announcements/news, update information.
  • Manage base active duty populations' compliance with USAF instructions regarding proper balance of fitness level and body fat percentage.
  • Manage training for CBRN response operations including detection and decontamination equipment.
  • Manage environmental safety occupational health compliance program, full spectrum threat response and anti terrorism programs.
  • Show more

Petty officer vs officer skills

Common petty officer skills
  • Preventative Maintenance, 9%
  • Law Enforcement, 6%
  • Logistics, 6%
  • Sailors, 5%
  • Coast Guard, 5%
  • Combat, 4%
Common officer skills
  • Patrol, 19%
  • Customer Service, 18%
  • Public Safety, 10%
  • Emergency Situations, 6%
  • PowerPoint, 3%
  • CPR, 3%

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