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The differences between background investigators and parking enforcement officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a background investigator has an average salary of $51,076, which is higher than the $38,755 average annual salary of a parking enforcement officer.
The top three skills for a background investigator include excellent time management, work ethic and face-to-face interviews. The most important skills for a parking enforcement officer are parking enforcement, patrol, and motor vehicle.
| Background Investigator | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $51,076 | $38,755 |
| Hourly rate | $24.56 | $18.63 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 4,428 | 120,053 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
The primary job of background investigators is to conduct background checks into an individual's personal and professional history that can validate or disprove their identity and character. They perform background investigations as part of hiring new employees, making an investment, and choosing a public official. Background investigators are responsible for obtaining and reviewing witness statements and arrest reports and meeting with candidates or the management to keep them updated on the investigation's progress and status. They are also responsible for completing background packages for final review and recommendation.
A parking enforcement officer is responsible for monitoring parking lots, ramps, and streets to make sure that drivers adhere to the parking laws and regulations. It is their duty to patrol assigned areas and monitor parking meters, issuing citations on improperly or illegally parked vehicles. There are also times when they must call for towing services, assess suspicious vehicles and scan their plates, and testify in courts as necessary. Moreover, a parking enforcement officer must maintain records of all issued tickets and respond to concerns professionally.
Background investigators and parking enforcement officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Background Investigator | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Average salary | $51,076 | $38,755 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $90,000 | Between $28,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Bellingham, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | City of Detroit |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a background investigator and a parking enforcement officer in terms of educational background:
| Background Investigator | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between background investigators' and parking enforcement officers' demographics:
| Background Investigator | Parking Enforcement Officer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.6% Female, 50.4% | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 15.2% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 4.6% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 11.1% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 24% |