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The differences between assets protection specialists and criminal investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a criminal investigator has an average salary of $54,520, which is higher than the $42,374 average annual salary of an assets protection specialist.
The top three skills for an assets protection specialist include CCTV, physical security and exception reports. The most important skills for a criminal investigator are investigative reports, resourcefulness, and firearms.
| Assets Protection Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $42,374 | $54,520 |
| Hourly rate | $20.37 | $26.21 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 83,267 | 5,131 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 33 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An assets protection specialist is an individual who is responsible for implementing safety and environmental programs to their assigned store or multiple stores as well as prevent financial loss caused by theft and fraud. Asset protection specialists are required to monitor the store's physical security and audit electronic article surveillance. They also prepare accurate and detailed case reports and interact with law enforcement as well as testify in criminal and civil court actions. Asset protection specialists must also report any hazardous or unsafe condition to the manager on duty.
A criminal investigator is a law enforcement professional who endeavors to solve felony crimes. Criminal investigators may work alone or as a member of an investigative team whose goal is to uncover the certainty of a case and potentially keep suspects to prevent the ensuing criminal activity. Their tasks and responsibilities depend on various job functions and specialties. They may specialize in the information and evidence of a crime scene, conduct interviews and searches, or perform surveillance.
Assets protection specialists and criminal investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assets Protection Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average salary | $42,374 | $54,520 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $78,000 | Between $34,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Arlington, VA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Credit Suisse | National Railroad Passenger Corporation |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Government |
There are a few differences between an assets protection specialist and a criminal investigator in terms of educational background:
| Assets Protection Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | - |
Here are the differences between assets protection specialists' and criminal investigators' demographics:
| Assets Protection Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average age | 33 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 7.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.2% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 9% |