Adjudicator vs investigator

The differences between adjudicators and investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an adjudicator, becoming an investigator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an investigator has an average salary of $71,406, which is higher than the $40,918 average annual salary of an adjudicator.

The top three skills for an adjudicator include disability claims, state laws and personnel security. The most important skills for an investigator are law enforcement agencies, management system, and customer service.

Adjudicator vs investigator overview

	Adjudicator	Investigator
Yearly salary	$40,918	$71,406
Hourly rate	$19.67	$34.33
Growth rate	-1%	6%
Number of jobs	95	5,085
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	46	44
Years of experience	4	6

Adjudicator vs investigator salary

Adjudicators and investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Adjudicator	Investigator
Average salary	$40,918	$71,406
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $56,000	Between $42,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Apple
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between adjudicator and investigator education

There are a few differences between an adjudicator and an investigator in terms of educational background:

	Adjudicator	Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Bakersfield

Adjudicator vs investigator demographics

Here are the differences between adjudicators' and investigators' demographics:

	Adjudicator	Investigator
Average age	46	44
Gender ratio	Male, 32.6% Female, 67.4%	Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 13.5% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 4.7% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	8%

Differences between adjudicator and investigator duties and responsibilities

Adjudicator example responsibilities.

Manage appeals and authorizations by examining information and performing necessary adjustments.
Report (Medicaid rejects).
Identify and resolve deny claims prior to medication delivery, working with nursing facilities, insurance companies and Medicaid.
Schedule additional investigation to resolve issues and obtain document evidence to support OPM's decision.
Perform monthly and quarterly QCP and ACA audits.
Administer oaths, enter evidence into record and make decisions regarding those arrest for DUI.

Investigator example responsibilities.

Participate in and lead the controlled purchase of illegal narcotics and firearms to apprehend suspects.
Manage all business reporting to include; payroll, taxes, client billing, account reconciliations and compliance reports.
Manage corporate-wide document production relative to complex litigation cases.
Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Collaborate with federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF and IRS.
Write a detail case report, and attach all supporting documentation necessary to write up SAR's where necessary per BSA.

Adjudicator vs investigator skills

Common adjudicator skills

Disability Claims, 16%
State Laws, 13%
Personnel Security, 10%
Social Security Administration, 9%
Background Investigations, 7%
Disability Benefits, 6%

Common investigator skills

Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%
Management System, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Criminal Justice, 5%
Senior Level Management, 4%
Child Abuse, 4%

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Adjudicator
Adjudicator vs Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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