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The differences between protective officers and correction officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a protective officer has an average salary of $40,529, which is higher than the $39,369 average annual salary of a correction officer.
The top three skills for a protective officer include customer service, emergency situations and patrol. The most important skills for a correction officer are public safety, correctional facility, and emergency situations.
| Protective Officer | Correction Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $40,529 | $39,369 |
| Hourly rate | $19.49 | $18.93 |
| Growth rate | 3% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 103,885 | 103,383 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A protective officer is in charge of preventing theft and damages in stores and other establishments. Among their responsibilities include monitoring alarm systems and surveillance cameras, patrolling areas, keeping an eye on suspicious activities and behavior, developing strategies to enforce security protocols, and responding to distress. There are also instances where they must conduct inspections and produce reports. Furthermore, as a protective officer, it is essential to coordinate with law enforcement should the situation require.
A correction officer is responsible for monitoring the daily activities of individuals serving time in prison, enforcing the standard rules and regulatory procedures to maintain safety and security within the premises. Correction officers' duties include searching for restricted items, inspecting the facilities' condition, observing unusual and suspicious behaviors, generating incident reports, and providing assistance during counseling and trial schedules. Correction officers must be highly knowledgeable of legal regulations. They must also cooperate with court procedures for any investigations within their place of work.
Protective officers and correction officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Protective Officer | Correction Officer | |
| Average salary | $40,529 | $39,369 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $58,000 | Between $28,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | National Security | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a protective officer and a correction officer in terms of educational background:
| Protective Officer | Correction Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between protective officers' and correction officers' demographics:
| Protective Officer | Correction Officer | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 5.6% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | Black or African American, 16.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |