Public safety officer vs security patrol officer

The differences between public safety officers and security patrol officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a public safety officer has an average salary of $36,596, which is higher than the $31,673 average annual salary of a security patrol officer.

The top three skills for a public safety officer include patrol, patients and public safety. The most important skills for a security patrol officer are patrol, customer service, and security services.

Public safety officer vs security patrol officer overview

	Public Safety Officer	Security Patrol Officer
Yearly salary	$36,596	$31,673
Hourly rate	$17.59	$15.23
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	122,048	131,574
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	40	43
Years of experience	-	-

What does a public safety officer do?

Public relations assistants are professionals who are responsible for creating and distributing promotional materials to help clients increase their public image and awareness of their products and services. These assistants are required to help develop and distribute public relations materials such as brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, and sell sheets. They must handle all the communications of their clients to the public by supervising social media content, press releases, and emails. Public relations assistants must also gather materials to be used in trade shows or client presentations.

What does a security patrol officer do?

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.

Public safety officer vs security patrol officer salary

Public safety officers and security patrol officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Safety Officer	Security Patrol Officer
Average salary	$36,596	$31,673
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $46,000	Between $25,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	New Britain, CT	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Utilities

Differences between public safety officer and security patrol officer education

There are a few differences between a public safety officer and a security patrol officer in terms of educational background:

	Public Safety Officer	Security Patrol Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	-

Public safety officer vs security patrol officer demographics

Here are the differences between public safety officers' and security patrol officers' demographics:

	Public Safety Officer	Security Patrol Officer
Average age	40	43
Gender ratio	Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3%	Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 3.4% White, 59.6% 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%

Differences between public safety officer and security patrol officer duties and responsibilities

Public safety officer example responsibilities.

Manage litigation and bankruptcy matters.
Apply hand cuffs, restraints and calm combative irate people, handling emergency situations, report writing, CPR, a.
Patrol campus, answer calls: fire, police, ems.
Engage in assistance for medical staff in dangerous situations, patient restraints, heavy lifting, and area access.
Monitor campus radio and cameras, dispatch emergency calls, issue summonses and utilize the NYSPIN computer communication network.
Involve in patient restraints and aggressive patient/visitor confrontations.

Security patrol officer example responsibilities.

Maintain alertness while on post.
Apply patient restraints as needed.
Certify CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and a (automate external defibrillator).
Remove stall vehicles from highway lanes to the side shoulder or a CHP designate safe area.
Respond to medical calls and provide basic first aid, CPR, or a use as needed.
Monitor CCTV operations, card access only doors and create identification badges for new employees/visitors at facility.

Public safety officer vs security patrol officer skills

Common public safety officer skills

Patrol, 18%
Patients, 17%
Public Safety, 12%
Customer Service, 7%
CPR, 5%
Emergency Situations, 5%

Common security patrol officer skills

Patrol, 51%
Customer Service, 23%
Security Services, 6%
Alertness, 3%
Emergency Situations, 2%
Public Safety, 2%

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Public Safety Officer
Public Safety Officer vs Security Patrol Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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