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The differences between police officers and parking enforcement officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a police officer has an average salary of $52,638, which is higher than the $38,755 average annual salary of a parking enforcement officer.
The top three skills for a police officer include patrol, public safety and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a parking enforcement officer are parking enforcement, patrol, and motor vehicle.
| Police Officer | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $52,638 | $38,755 |
| Hourly rate | $25.31 | $18.63 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 116,287 | 120,053 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| 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.
A parking enforcement officer is responsible for monitoring parking lots, ramps, and streets to make sure that drivers adhere to the parking laws and regulations. It is their duty to patrol assigned areas and monitor parking meters, issuing citations on improperly or illegally parked vehicles. There are also times when they must call for towing services, assess suspicious vehicles and scan their plates, and testify in courts as necessary. Moreover, a parking enforcement officer must maintain records of all issued tickets and respond to concerns professionally.
Police officers and parking enforcement officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Police Officer | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Average salary | $52,638 | $38,755 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $71,000 | Between $28,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | Bellingham, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | Icma-rc | City of Detroit |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a police officer and a parking enforcement officer in terms of educational background:
| Police Officer | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| 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 parking enforcement officers' demographics:
| Police Officer | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% |
| 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, 12.3% Unknown, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 11.1% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 24% |