Police detective vs first sergeant

The differences between police detectives and first sergeants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a first sergeant has an average salary of $98,755, which is higher than the $52,087 average annual salary of a police detective.

The top three skills for a police detective include patrol, law enforcement agencies and criminal cases. The most important skills for a first sergeant are personnel actions, professional development, and general supervision.

Police detective vs first sergeant overview

	Police Detective	First Sergeant
Yearly salary	$52,087	$98,755
Hourly rate	$25.04	$47.48
Growth rate	3%	-
Number of jobs	74,958	2,487
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Police detective vs first sergeant salary

Police detectives and first sergeants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Police Detective	First Sergeant
Average salary	$52,087	$98,755
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $71,000	Between $70,000 And $138,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between police detective and first sergeant education

There are a few differences between a police detective and a first sergeant in terms of educational background:

	Police Detective	First Sergeant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	Pennsylvania State University

Police detective vs first sergeant demographics

Here are the differences between police detectives' and first sergeants' demographics:

	Police Detective	First Sergeant
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6%	Male, 90.4% Female, 9.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between police detective and first sergeant duties and responsibilities

Police detective example responsibilities.

Plan, manage, develop, implement and revise the training FTO program, as needed.
Complete applications for arrest, subpoenas, search and seizure warrants, etc.
Serve criminal and civil subpoenas, confer with attorneys and assist in the preparation of cases for trial.
Maintain and repair department issue firearms.
Conduct investigations ranging from disorderly persons offenses to homicide.
Network with co-workers to improve initial investigation techniques in the patrol division.

First sergeant example responsibilities.

Supervise and manage the refit and reset of the unit upon redeployment.
Manage food, water, ammunition, and equipment for the squad and ensure everyone ration accordingly.
Demonstrate unparalleled proficiency in managing operations and administrative requirements in a combat environment, with superior technical and tactical adeptness.
Provide leadership and knowledge of federal shipping and logistics regulations by managing adherence to all policies and procedures from higher headquarters.
Use PowerPoint to create briefs and training slides.
Develop a full training program in accordance with USAF protocols.

Police detective vs first sergeant skills

Common police detective skills

Patrol, 11%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 9%
Criminal Cases, 9%
Local Laws, 7%
Evidence Collection, 6%
Criminal Law, 6%

Common first sergeant skills

Personnel Actions, 20%
Professional Development, 11%
General Supervision, 7%
Combat, 7%
Logistical Support, 6%
Personnel Accountability, 5%