Sergeant vs platoon sergeant

The differences between sergeants and platoon sergeants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a platoon sergeant has an average salary of $95,863, which is higher than the $48,557 average annual salary of a sergeant.

The top three skills for a sergeant include safety procedures, patrol and direct supervision. The most important skills for a platoon sergeant are safety procedures, combat, and professional development.

Sergeant vs platoon sergeant overview

	Sergeant	Platoon Sergeant
Yearly salary	$48,557	$95,863
Hourly rate	$23.34	$46.09
Growth rate	-10%	3%
Number of jobs	79,335	357
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

What does a sergeant do?

A Sergeant is responsible for supervising a group of five or more Soldiers. Sergeants must oversee their daily activities, ensuring they are in proper disposition and are living under the conditions that adhere to the laws and regulations and training them according to the standards of the military. Furthermore, it is a Sergeant's responsibility to serve the public and report to the higher-ups, instill discipline to oneself, and serve as a role model to lower-ranked soldiers.

What does a platoon sergeant do?

A platoon sergeant is responsible for monitoring the platoon on its daily operations, including their training and activities, evaluating their performance, and enforcing disciplinary actions to maintain the order of the group. Platoon sergeants work closely with a platoon commander, advising high-end strategic procedures to support the troops, including defense training and weapon tactics. They also coordinate with different units, especially on deploying the platoon for assignments and security duties to maintain the peace of the vicinity.

Sergeant vs platoon sergeant salary

Sergeants and platoon sergeants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sergeant	Platoon Sergeant
Average salary	$48,557	$95,863
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $66,000	Between $68,000 And $134,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	Columbia University in the City of New York	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between sergeant and platoon sergeant education

There are a few differences between a sergeant and a platoon sergeant in terms of educational background:

	Sergeant	Platoon Sergeant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	Pennsylvania State University

Sergeant vs platoon sergeant demographics

Here are the differences between sergeants' and platoon sergeants' demographics:

	Sergeant	Platoon Sergeant
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 85.0% Female, 15.0%	Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between sergeant and platoon sergeant duties and responsibilities

Sergeant example responsibilities.

Manage critical incidents including barricade gunmen, VIP visits, homicides, shootings and in-progress crimes.
Manage and submit all schedules for maximum security unit, and all non security staff assign to that unit.
Monitor and manage enlisted promotion boards and actions; publish promotion orders for soldiers being promote to SGT and SSG.
Assist in establishing overall S3 objectives and accomplishing assign missions.
Manage training for CBRN response operations including detection and decontamination equipment.
Implement USAF, DoD and MAJCOM security policies while balancing operational needs with security requirements for the protection of classify information.

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Platoon sergeant example responsibilities.

Orchestrate squadron recognition programs, manage enlisted promotion recommendations and alleviate all airmen quality force issues.
Mentore and maintain accountability of soldiers within the platoon, providing positive guidance for their personal and professional development.
Train ROTC students during drills.
Award combat action badge for duty in OIF.
Assist in training and mentoring college ROTC cadets.
Evaluate training processes as they pertain to a broad range of equipment, organizations, and doctrine.

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Sergeant vs platoon sergeant skills

Common sergeant skills

Safety Procedures, 16%
Patrol, 14%
Direct Supervision, 9%
Emergency Situations, 7%
Combat, 6%
CPR, 5%

Common platoon sergeant skills

Safety Procedures, 20%
Combat, 15%
Professional Development, 8%
Weapons Systems, 8%
NCO, 6%
Logistical Support, 6%

Sergeant vs. similar jobs

Sergeant related careers

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Sergeant jobs by location

Updated January 8, 2025

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