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The differences between police officers and police sergeants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a police sergeant has an average salary of $65,562, 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 police sergeant are patrol, public safety, and emergency situations.
| Police Officer | Police Sergeant | |
| Yearly salary | $52,638 | $65,562 |
| Hourly rate | $25.31 | $31.52 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 116,287 | 81,493 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 40 | 46 |
| 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 Police Sergeant is responsible for supervising patrol officers and agents, as assigned. They oversee and assess the performance of subordinates, such as disciplinary actions, continued training, and counseling.
Police officers and police sergeants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Police Officer | Police Sergeant | |
| Average salary | $52,638 | $65,562 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $71,000 | Between $48,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | Santa Cruz, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | Icma-rc | Loyola University Maryland |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a police officer and a police sergeant in terms of educational background:
| Police Officer | Police Sergeant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between police officers' and police sergeants' demographics:
| Police Officer | Police Sergeant | |
| Average age | 40 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% |
| 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, 11.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 11% |