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The differences between sergeants and police officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a police officer has an average salary of $52,638, 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 police officer are patrol, public safety, and law enforcement agencies.
| Sergeant | Police Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $48,557 | $52,638 |
| Hourly rate | $23.34 | $25.31 |
| Growth rate | -10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 79,335 | 116,287 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
Police officers are responsible for keeping peace and security in a community. They uphold and enforce the law. They ensure that people in their assigned community follow the law. They also ensure that proper sanctions are given out to anyone who does not follow. Some police officers are assigned in the field, meaning they work outside of police stations. Those assigned to police stations are responsible for maintaining administrative matters as well, aside from maintaining peace and order. Police officers are expected to be trustworthy, to work with honor, and to keep their integrity intact.
Sergeants and police officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sergeant | Police Officer | |
| Average salary | $48,557 | $52,638 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $66,000 | Between $38,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | Icma-rc |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a sergeant and a police officer in terms of educational background:
| Sergeant | Police Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between sergeants' and police officers' demographics:
| Sergeant | Police Officer | |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.0% Female, 15.0% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| 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, 12.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |