Shift commander vs detective sergeant

The differences between shift commanders and detective sergeants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detective sergeant has an average salary of $52,546, which is higher than the $39,205 average annual salary of a shift commander.

The top three skills for a shift commander include security procedures, patrol and emergency situations. The most important skills for a detective sergeant are patrol, evidence collection, and law enforcement agencies.

Shift commander vs detective sergeant overview

	Shift Commander	Detective Sergeant
Yearly salary	$39,205	$52,546
Hourly rate	$18.85	$25.26
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	28,432	938
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Shift commander vs detective sergeant salary

Shift commanders and detective sergeants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Shift Commander	Detective Sergeant
Average salary	$39,205	$52,546
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $50,000	Between $40,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between shift commander and detective sergeant education

There are a few differences between a shift commander and a detective sergeant in terms of educational background:

	Shift Commander	Detective Sergeant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	Pennsylvania State University

Shift commander vs detective sergeant demographics

Here are the differences between shift commanders' and detective sergeants' demographics:

	Shift Commander	Detective Sergeant
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8%	Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 1.8% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between shift commander and detective sergeant duties and responsibilities

Shift commander example responsibilities.

Lead 50 2nd lieutenants, manage schedules, and ensure timely completion of missions.
Present programs to teachers, staff and students covering everything from personal safety, classroom disorder to CPR.
Work as booking officer due to extensive knowledge of legal paperwork and control room officer using CCTV equipment.
Supervise the daily patrol operations.
Conduct all relate patrol assignments.
Develop instructor and student rubrics essential in obtaining CALEA accreditation.

Detective sergeant example responsibilities.

Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Assist in writing standards for certification for the firearms unit.
Supervise detective squad, identify monthly investigation outcomes, create staffing schedules, perform stake-outs, monitor wire taps ,
Establish probable cause to obtain warrants, leading to arrests and the seizure of narcotics, firearms and other contraband.
Deliver subpoenas and other documents as requested by attorneys.
Supervise detectives attaining search warrants, subpoenas and financial/phone/computer records.

Shift commander vs detective sergeant skills

Common shift commander skills

Security Procedures, 15%
Patrol, 15%
Emergency Situations, 12%
Correctional Facility, 6%
EMS, 6%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 6%

Common detective sergeant skills

Patrol, 20%
Evidence Collection, 10%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 10%
Homicide, 6%
Burglary, 4%
Criminal Cases, 4%

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Protective Service Industry
Shift Commander
Shift Commander vs Detective Sergeant

Updated January 8, 2025

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