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The differences between security officers and security patrol officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a security patrol officer has an average salary of $31,673, which is higher than the $31,101 average annual salary of a security officer.
The top three skills for a security officer include customer service, ladders and patrol. The most important skills for a security patrol officer are patrol, customer service, and security services.
| Security Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $31,101 | $31,673 |
| Hourly rate | $14.95 | $15.23 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 125,879 | 131,574 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A security officer is responsible for maintaining the peace and safety of everyone by regularly patrolling and monitoring surveillance equipment within the assigned premises. Security officers' duties also include reporting suspicious behaviors, restricting trespassers and unauthorized personnel from entering the establishment, providing incident reports for policy violations, and adhering to the standard protocols and legal requirements set by the management. Security offers must also have excellent decision-making and critical-thinking skills and extensive knowledge of emergency drills in case any unfortunate circumstances arise.
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.
Security officers and security patrol officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Average salary | $31,101 | $31,673 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Battelle | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a security officer and a security patrol officer in terms of educational background:
| Security Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between security officers' and security patrol officers' demographics:
| Security Officer | Security Patrol Officer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% | Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | 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 | 6% | 6% |