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The differences between police officers and deputies can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a deputy has an average salary of $53,682, which is higher than the $52,638 average annual salary of a police officer.
The top three skills for a police officer include patrol, public safety and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a deputy are patrol, public safety, and transport inmates.
| Police Officer | Deputy | |
| Yearly salary | $52,638 | $53,682 |
| Hourly rate | $25.31 | $25.81 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 116,287 | 56,150 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Police officers are responsible for keeping peace and security in a community. They uphold and enforce the law. They ensure that people in their assigned community follow the law. They also ensure that proper sanctions are given out to anyone who does not follow. Some police officers are assigned in the field, meaning they work outside of police stations. Those assigned to police stations are responsible for maintaining administrative matters as well, aside from maintaining peace and order. Police officers are expected to be trustworthy, to work with honor, and to keep their integrity intact.
The duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat. There are also instances when a deputy must serve court documents, transport detainees or suspected criminals, and monitor courtrooms. Furthermore, a deputy reports to higher-ranking officers such as a sheriff.
Police officers and deputies have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Police Officer | Deputy | |
| Average salary | $52,638 | $53,682 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $71,000 | Between $31,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Icma-rc | Barclays |
| Best paying industry | Government | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a police officer and a deputy in terms of educational background:
| Police Officer | Deputy | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between police officers' and deputies' demographics:
| Police Officer | Deputy | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 3.5% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |