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The differences between special agents and police officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special agent has an average salary of $60,916, which is higher than the $52,638 average annual salary of a police officer.
The top three skills for a special agent include professional work, national security and local law enforcement. The most important skills for a police officer are patrol, public safety, and law enforcement agencies.
| Special Agent | Police Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $60,916 | $52,638 |
| Hourly rate | $29.29 | $25.31 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 46,232 | 116,287 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A special agent is responsible for investigating law violations and criminal activities by collecting pieces of evidence, including witnesses' testimonies, to release a warrant of arrest and initiate prosecution. Special agents work closely with other law enforcement agencies to identify threats, analyze occurring criminal activities, and connect intelligence records through observation and field investigations. They also attend court proceedings to present evidence for court decisions. A special agent must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, assessing unusual situations, and handling suspicious activities.
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.
Special agents and police officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Agent | Police Officer | |
| Average salary | $60,916 | $52,638 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $85,000 | Between $38,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | BNSF Railway | Icma-rc |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a special agent and a police officer in terms of educational background:
| Special Agent | Police Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between special agents' and police officers' demographics:
| Special Agent | Police Officer | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 9% | 7% |