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The differences between police officers and security patrol 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 $31,673 average annual salary of a security patrol officer.
The top three skills for a police officer include patrol, public safety and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a security patrol officer are patrol, customer service, and security services.
| Police Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $52,638 | $31,673 |
| Hourly rate | $25.31 | $15.23 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 116,287 | 131,574 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| 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 Security Patrol Officer ensures the safety and security of the establishment under guard. The security officer ensures that all facility areas are secured, does regular patrols, routine inspections, and monitors the premises, and logs in daily reports for management to assess. The Security Patrol Officer's role is vital for the continued performance of an establishment as it prevents crime, stealing, and other heinous acts that may severely affect a company's operations.
Police officers and security patrol officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Police Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Average salary | $52,638 | $31,673 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $71,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | Icma-rc | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Government | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a police officer and a security patrol officer in terms of educational background:
| Police Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | - |
Here are the differences between police officers' and security patrol officers' demographics:
| Police Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% | Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4% |
| 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, 11.5% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 23.6% Asian, 5.3% White, 52.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |