Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between protective officers and officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an officer has an average salary of $52,506, which is higher than the $40,529 average annual salary of a protective officer.
The top three skills for a protective officer include customer service, emergency situations and patrol. The most important skills for an officer are patrol, customer service, and public safety.
| Protective Officer | Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $40,529 | $52,506 |
| Hourly rate | $19.49 | $25.24 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 103,885 | 114,267 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| 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.
An officer is responsible for managing the daily operations of the assigned area, ensuring its peace and security by monitoring and reporting unusual and suspicious activities. Officers are the ones enforcing strict safety protocols and procedures to maintain the order within the premises. They also coordinate with law enforcement agencies in conducting appropriate investigations for any violating cases. An officer must be highly-knowledgeable of the law policies, as well as possessing excellent leadership skills to manage the members under the officer's patrol.
Protective officers and officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Protective Officer | Officer | |
| Average salary | $40,529 | $52,506 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $58,000 | Between $26,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | National Security | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a protective officer and an officer in terms of educational background:
| Protective Officer | Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between protective officers' and officers' demographics:
| Protective Officer | Officer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0% | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% |
| 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, 15.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |