Security forces vs non-commissioned officer

The differences between security forces and non-commissioned officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a non-commissioned officer has an average salary of $104,839, which is higher than the $37,155 average annual salary of a security forces.

The top three skills for a security forces include patrol, law enforcement and public safety. The most important skills for a non-commissioned officer are combat, logistical support, and NCO.

Security forces vs non-commissioned officer overview

	Security Forces	Non-Commissioned Officer
Yearly salary	$37,155	$104,839
Hourly rate	$17.86	$50.40
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	84,298	69,414
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Security forces vs non-commissioned officer salary

Security forces and non-commissioned officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Security Forces	Non-Commissioned Officer
Average salary	$37,155	$104,839
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $46,000	Between $77,000 And $142,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	UBS
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between security forces and non-commissioned officer education

There are a few differences between a security forces and a non-commissioned officer in terms of educational background:

	Security Forces	Non-Commissioned Officer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	-	-

Security forces vs non-commissioned officer demographics

Here are the differences between security forces' and non-commissioned officers' demographics:

	Security Forces	Non-Commissioned Officer
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2%	Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 5.7% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 5.6% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between security forces and non-commissioned officer duties and responsibilities

Security forces example responsibilities.

Apply first aid, life saving procedures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as first responder to accident and disaster scenes.
Train on performing lifesaving procedures including cardiopulmonary resuscitation in disaster scenes.
Ensure combat capability through the functions of installation security for nuclear and conventional weapon systems.
Instruct first aid and CPR classes.
Certify in use of M249, M9, M4, M203.
Enforce security measures while safeguarding USAF air craft and personal.

Non-commissioned officer example responsibilities.

Ensure assigned equipment are maintained and serviceable for accomplish all combat evacuation during OIF.
Provide leadership and knowledge of federal shipping and logistics regulations by managing adherence to all policies and procedures from higher headquarters.
Provide hazardous materials (HAZMAT) response capability for unknown or suspect CBRN incidents.
Ensure compliance with local state and federal EPA guidelines for hazardous materials (HAZMAT) handling and waste disposal.
Access control and CCTV monitoring.
Monitor CCTV system for any suspicious activities backing up the mobile unit.

Security forces vs non-commissioned officer skills

Common security forces skills

Patrol, 20%
Law Enforcement, 14%
Public Safety, 11%
Emergency Situations, 6%
Combat, 5%
Crime Scenes, 4%

Common non-commissioned officer skills

Combat, 14%
Logistical Support, 12%
NCO, 12%
Professional Development, 5%
Platoon, 4%
Training Programs, 3%

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Security Forces
Security Forces vs Non-Commissioned Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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