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State trooper vs county sheriff

The differences between state troopers and county sheriffs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a county sheriff has an average salary of $47,451, which is higher than the $39,812 average annual salary of a state trooper.

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

State trooper vs county sheriff overview

State TrooperCounty Sheriff
Yearly salary$39,812$47,451
Hourly rate$19.14$22.81
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs630949
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age4040
Years of experience--

State trooper vs county sheriff salary

State troopers and county sheriffs have different pay scales, as shown below.

State TrooperCounty Sheriff
Average salary$39,812$47,451
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $50,000Between $31,000 And $71,000
Highest paying CityOlympia, WA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyWashington State University-
Best paying industryFinance-

Differences between state trooper and county sheriff education

There are a few differences between a state trooper and a county sheriff in terms of educational background:

State TrooperCounty Sheriff
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common collegePennsylvania State UniversityCalifornia State University - Bakersfield

State trooper vs county sheriff demographics

Here are the differences between state troopers' and county sheriffs' demographics:

State TrooperCounty Sheriff
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 90.1% Female, 9.9%Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 3.8% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 3.7% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between state trooper and county sheriff duties and responsibilities

State trooper example responsibilities.

  • Administer CPR and Narcan injections for drug overdoses.
  • Answer calls for service, provide assistance to strand motorists, DUI detection and drug interdiction.
  • Monitor potential driving under the influence motor vehicle suspects, and subsequently make DUI arrests when appropriate.
  • Require to undergo firearm proficiency/self defense tactics and be able to operate a departmental cruiser safely during patrol.
  • Provide patrol personnel with the information concerning activities of patrol, work directives and sensitive information pertaining to criminal activity.10.
  • Qualify and utilize firearms provide emergency assistance, conduct investigations, report writing and presenting testimony in a court of law.
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County sheriff example responsibilities.

  • Hire and manage credit officers responsible for Citigroup's new commodity derivatives business in Houston.
  • Second in command of sheriffs office.
  • Train in incident command; NIMS.
  • Serve warrants, civil papers, subpoenas and court orders.
  • Serve warrants, summonses, and subpoenas, civil and other official papers.
  • Update and maintain complete and accurate records in order to comply with booking procedures.
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State trooper vs county sheriff skills

Common state trooper skills
  • Patrol, 30%
  • Public Safety, 12%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 10%
  • Criminal Law, 5%
  • Field Training, 4%
  • Traffic Control, 4%
Common county sheriff skills
  • Patrol, 22%
  • Public Safety, 12%
  • Emergency Situations, 11%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
  • Correctional Facility, 4%
  • Direct Supervision, 4%

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