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The differences between police cadets 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 $33,243 average annual salary of a police cadet.
The top three skills for a police cadet include patrol, traffic control and public safety. The most important skills for an officer are patrol, customer service, and public safety.
| Police Cadet | Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $33,243 | $52,506 |
| Hourly rate | $15.98 | $25.24 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 94,220 | 114,267 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Police cadets require multiple police department-relevant skills in traffic control, police reports, public safety, and special events. Those who choose this career will be responsible for participating in training programs that will introduce them to the fundamentals of law enforcement and prepare them for becoming police officers, supporting police operations like traffic control, working on criminal investigation, and performing administrative duties at the station.
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.
Police cadets and officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Police Cadet | Officer | |
| Average salary | $33,243 | $52,506 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $47,000 | Between $26,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Minneapolis, MN | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Meridian Township | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a police cadet and an officer in terms of educational background:
| Police Cadet | Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Business |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | - |
Here are the differences between police cadets' and officers' demographics:
| Police Cadet | Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.4% Female, 36.6% | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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 Percentage | 7% | 6% |