Surveillance operator vs surveillance observer

The differences between surveillance operators and surveillance observers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a surveillance observer has an average salary of $33,761, which is higher than the $32,930 average annual salary of a surveillance operator.

The top three skills for a surveillance operator include CCTV, patrol and table games. The most important skills for a surveillance observer are casino floor, surveillance equipment, and CCTV.

Surveillance operator vs surveillance observer overview

	Surveillance Operator	Surveillance Observer
Yearly salary	$32,930	$33,761
Hourly rate	$15.83	$16.23
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	102,835	1,049
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 28%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Surveillance operator vs surveillance observer salary

Surveillance operators and surveillance observers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Surveillance Operator	Surveillance Observer
Average salary	$32,930	$33,761
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $50,000	Between $21,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between surveillance operator and surveillance observer education

There are a few differences between a surveillance operator and a surveillance observer in terms of educational background:

	Surveillance Operator	Surveillance Observer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 28%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Surveillance operator vs surveillance observer demographics

Here are the differences between surveillance operators' and surveillance observers' demographics:

	Surveillance Operator	Surveillance Observer
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3%	Male, 64.2% Female, 35.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 5.4% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between surveillance operator and surveillance observer duties and responsibilities

Surveillance operator example responsibilities.

Develop and manage SAS and SQL programs to monitor hepatitis surveillance data quality.
Authore procedures and work instructions and implement training programs relative to complaint handling, CAPA, investigation and risk assessment.
Maintain payroll and record keeping.
Prepare periodic reports to FDA.
Assist the sex offender specialist with GPS monitoring of sex offenders.
Compose case narratives & enter case information into the Argus database.

Surveillance observer example responsibilities.

Assist in taking patient medical history and managing clinical patients and participate in medical team discussions regarding patient treatment plans.
Assist in taking patient medical history and managing clinical patients and participate in medical team discussions regarding patient treatment plans.
Provide safety training for GSK clinical scientists and monitors.

Surveillance operator vs surveillance observer skills

Common surveillance operator skills

CCTV, 11%
Patrol, 10%
Table Games, 10%
Zoom, 8%
Internal Controls, 7%
Loss Prevention, 6%

Common surveillance observer skills

Casino Floor, 23%
Surveillance Equipment, 13%
CCTV, 12%
Control Board, 8%
Local Law Enforcement, 8%
Video Evidence, 6%

Surveillance Operator vs. similar jobs

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Protective Service Industry
Surveillance Operator
Surveillance Operator vs Surveillance Observer

Updated January 8, 2025

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