Post job

Sheriff officer vs police officer

The differences between sheriff officers 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 $46,632 average annual salary of a sheriff officer.

The top three skills for a sheriff officer include patrol, public safety and emergency situations. The most important skills for a police officer are patrol, public safety, and law enforcement agencies.

Sheriff officer vs police officer overview

Sheriff OfficerPolice Officer
Yearly salary$46,632$52,638
Hourly rate$22.42$25.31
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs55,883116,287
Job satisfaction-2
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age4040
Years of experience--

Sheriff officer vs police officer salary

Sheriff officers and police officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Sheriff OfficerPolice Officer
Average salary$46,632$52,638
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $69,000Between $38,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City-Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Icma-rc
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between sheriff officer and police officer education

There are a few differences between a sheriff officer and a police officer in terms of educational background:

Sheriff OfficerPolice Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common collegePennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State University

Sheriff officer vs police officer demographics

Here are the differences between sheriff officers' and police officers' demographics:

Sheriff OfficerPolice Officer
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 85.0% Female, 15.0%Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 2.8% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%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 Percentage7%7%

Differences between sheriff officer and police officer duties and responsibilities

Sheriff officer example responsibilities.

  • Serve or issue subpoenas, summonses, jury summonses, orders to pay alimony, court orders and citations.
  • Question individuals or observe persons and establishments to confirm information given to patrol officers.
  • Participate in community relationships and non-hazardous law enforcement activities.
  • Serve as first responder for accidents and disasters, applying cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other life-saving procedures as needed.

Police officer example responsibilities.

  • Apprehend violators and log evidence, complete require USAF and DoD forms, and accomplish report.
  • Train in CPR and first aid, radar speed enforcement, domestic violence intervention, pepper spray, and basic anti-terrorism.
  • Gather preliminary investigation information as a first responder to crime scenes.
  • Perform basic patrol functions including criminal and traffic law enforcement, incident reporting and community relations.
  • Complete numerous testimonies at criminal hearings and traffic violations, serve summons, subpoenas and other official documentation.
  • Patrol MARTA trains and bus lines.
  • Show more

Sheriff officer vs police officer skills

Common sheriff officer skills
  • Patrol, 26%
  • Public Safety, 16%
  • Emergency Situations, 11%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 10%
  • Transport Prisoners, 9%
  • Criminal Investigations, 4%
Common police officer skills
  • Patrol, 27%
  • Public Safety, 6%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
  • Emergency Situations, 5%
  • Field Training, 4%
  • CPR, 3%

Browse protective service jobs