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The differences between police academy instructors and vocational instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a police academy instructor and a vocational instructor. Additionally, a police academy instructor has an average salary of $52,586, which is higher than the $41,610 average annual salary of a vocational instructor.
The top three skills for a police academy instructor include CPR, children ages and training programs. The most important skills for a vocational instructor are plumbing, course objectives, and developmental disabilities.
| Police Academy Instructor | Vocational Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $52,586 | $41,610 |
| Hourly rate | $25.28 | $20.00 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 37,144 | 37,084 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Police academy instructors must have a healthy educational background consisting of an associate degree and six years' experience or a bachelor's degree and two years' experience. Paid around $58K per year, this position requires skills in firearms training, arrest control, defensive tactics, physical training, law enforcement, vehicle operation, emergency management, and others. Those who choose this career will be expected to provide lesson plans for the police training curriculum and to instruct students in basic police training topics and skills.
Depending on their field of specialization, a vocational instructor is usually found working in secondary schools, technical schools, or other training institutions. Their major duty is to teach students a specific trade or occupation. Their responsibility is to teach a particular subject that can immediately be applied to a specific field or job. They are also expected to provide guidance to students and assist them with placement, aside from teaching them in the classroom.
Police academy instructors and vocational instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Police Academy Instructor | Vocational Instructor | |
| Average salary | $52,586 | $41,610 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $83,000 | Between $31,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Springfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | New York State Restaurant Association |
| Best paying industry | - | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a police academy instructor and a vocational instructor in terms of educational background:
| Police Academy Instructor | Vocational Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between police academy instructors' and vocational instructors' demographics:
| Police Academy Instructor | Vocational Instructor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% | Male, 49.4% Female, 50.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |