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The differences between petty officers and security assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a petty officer has an average salary of $39,336, which is higher than the $38,261 average annual salary of a security assistant.
The top three skills for a petty officer include preventative maintenance, law enforcement and logistics. The most important skills for a security assistant are customer service, security clearance, and patrol.
| Petty Officer | Security Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,336 | $38,261 |
| Hourly rate | $18.91 | $18.39 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 69,776 | 102,858 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A security assistant is in charge of performing support tasks in a company or establishment's security department. Their responsibilities typically include monitoring alarm systems and surveillance cameras, organizing equipment such as radios and flashlights, keeping an eye on the inventory of supplies, and liaising with external and internal parties. They may also perform clerical tasks such as preparing and processing documentation, arranging requests, answering calls and correspondence, maintaining records of transactions, and handling paperwork. There are also instances where they must assist clients and employees, adhering to protocols as needed.
Petty officers and security assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Petty Officer | Security Assistant | |
| Average salary | $39,336 | $38,261 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $62,000 | Between $24,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Inter-Con Security Systems |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a petty officer and a security assistant in terms of educational background:
| Petty Officer | Security Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between petty officers' and security assistants' demographics:
| Petty Officer | Security Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% | Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 15.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 52.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |