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State trooper vs police cadet

The differences between state troopers and police cadets 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 $33,243 average annual salary of a police cadet.

The top three skills for a state trooper include patrol, public safety and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a police cadet are patrol, traffic control, and public safety.

State trooper vs police cadet overview

State TrooperPolice Cadet
Yearly salary$39,812$33,243
Hourly rate$19.14$15.98
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs63094,220
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4040
Years of experience--

State trooper vs police cadet salary

State troopers and police cadets have different pay scales, as shown below.

State TrooperPolice Cadet
Average salary$39,812$33,243
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $50,000Between $23,000 And $47,000
Highest paying CityOlympia, WAMinneapolis, MN
Highest paying stateAlaskaAlaska
Best paying companyWashington State UniversityMeridian Township
Best paying industryFinanceGovernment

Differences between state trooper and police cadet education

There are a few differences between a state trooper and a police cadet in terms of educational background:

State TrooperPolice Cadet
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common collegePennsylvania State UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

State trooper vs police cadet demographics

Here are the differences between state troopers' and police cadets' demographics:

State TrooperPolice Cadet
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 90.1% Female, 9.9%Male, 63.4% Female, 36.6%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between state trooper and police cadet 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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Police cadet example responsibilities.

  • Process requests for background record checks for a variety of agencies using RMS.
  • Prepare teletype requests to run serialize firearms; input data from all seize firearms into CLETS.
  • Perform clerical tasks, filing, data entry, payroll and information research/investigation with NCIC 2000 and SCIC.
  • Automate tow notification process within RMS system.
  • Perform preventative maintenance inspections, routinely servicing minor repairs on equipment and patrol vehicles.
  • General law enforcement responsibilities including dispatch, jail, patrol, investigations, undercover vice/narcotics and supervision.
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State trooper vs police cadet skills

Common state trooper skills
  • Patrol, 30%
  • Public Safety, 12%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 10%
  • Criminal Law, 5%
  • Field Training, 4%
  • Traffic Control, 4%
Common police cadet skills
  • Patrol, 18%
  • Traffic Control, 10%
  • Public Safety, 8%
  • Police Academy, 7%
  • Parking Enforcement, 5%
  • Criminal Justice, 4%

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