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State trooper vs peace officer

The differences between state troopers and peace officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a state trooper has an average salary of $39,812, which is higher than the $37,631 average annual salary of a peace officer.

The top three skills for a state trooper include patrol, public safety and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a peace officer are patrol, public safety, and motor vehicle.

State trooper vs peace officer overview

State TrooperPeace Officer
Yearly salary$39,812$37,631
Hourly rate$19.14$18.09
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs630118,690
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age4040
Years of experience--

State trooper vs peace officer salary

State troopers and peace officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

State TrooperPeace Officer
Average salary$39,812$37,631
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $50,000Between $30,000 And $45,000
Highest paying CityOlympia, WA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyWashington State University-
Best paying industryFinance-

Differences between state trooper and peace officer education

There are a few differences between a state trooper and a peace officer in terms of educational background:

State TrooperPeace Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common collegePennsylvania State UniversityCalifornia State University - Bakersfield

State trooper vs peace officer demographics

Here are the differences between state troopers' and peace officers' demographics:

State TrooperPeace Officer
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 90.1% Female, 9.9%Male, 77.4% Female, 22.6%
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, 12.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 2.9% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between state trooper and peace officer 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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Peace officer example responsibilities.

  • Lead process improvement committee for officers to communicate with senior leadership desire changes for patrol division.
  • Conduct complex criminal investigations in correctional, patrol and investigative unit settings.
  • Administer CPR and first aid.
  • Train in CPR and other immediate care for self and others.
  • Monitor security systems, including CCTV, fire systems, and sensitive content alarms.
  • Experience in command central where CCTV cameras are monitored, and general information is relayed to the public and co-workers.
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State trooper vs peace officer skills

Common state trooper skills
  • Patrol, 30%
  • Public Safety, 12%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 10%
  • Criminal Law, 5%
  • Field Training, 4%
  • Traffic Control, 4%
Common peace officer skills
  • Patrol, 26%
  • Public Safety, 12%
  • Motor Vehicle, 7%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%
  • Emergency Situations, 7%
  • Incident Reports, 4%

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