Trooper vs patrol officer

The differences between troopers and patrol officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a trooper has an average salary of $39,510, which is higher than the $35,621 average annual salary of a patrol officer.

The top three skills for a trooper include field training, patrol and traffic accidents. The most important skills for a patrol officer are patrol, customer service, and public safety.

Trooper vs patrol officer overview

	Trooper	Patrol Officer
Yearly salary	$39,510	$35,621
Hourly rate	$19.00	$17.13
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	1,565	123,265
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Trooper vs patrol officer salary

Troopers and patrol officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Trooper	Patrol Officer
Average salary	$39,510	$35,621
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $52,000	Between $27,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Mount St. Mary's University
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between trooper and patrol officer education

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

	Trooper	Patrol Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Trooper vs patrol officer demographics

Here are the differences between troopers' and patrol officers' demographics:

	Trooper	Patrol Officer
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 90.4% Female, 9.6%	Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 3.5% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between trooper and patrol officer duties and responsibilities

Trooper example responsibilities.

Qualify with and, when necessary, used department firearms and other self-defense devices.
Issue court summonses, perform radar (speed) operations, rigorously enforce DUI laws.
Make DUI arrest, investigate traffic crashes and crimes commit on state own or lease property.
Perform general patrol, criminal/accident investigations and motor vehicle enforcement duties.
Respond to report incidents and detect criminal activities during routine patrol operations.
Advance firearm training and accident investigations.

Patrol officer example responsibilities.

Manage surveillance of DUI traffic offenders in Jacksonville
Report and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.
Enforce NYS racing guidelines state, rules and regulations.
Protect life and property at the largest regional aviation facility in NYS.
Provide emergency medical assistance as a first responder.
Utilize security vehicle to patrol all residential areas and parking lot ensuring resident safety.

Trooper vs patrol officer skills

Common trooper skills

Field Training, 27%
Patrol, 11%
Traffic Accidents, 10%
Domestic Violence, 8%
Criminal Investigations, 6%
Swat, 5%

Common patrol officer skills

Patrol, 48%
Customer Service, 8%
Public Safety, 7%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
Emergency Situations, 5%
Incident Reports, 2%