Certified legal investigator vs store detective

The differences between certified legal investigators and store detectives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a certified legal investigator and a store detective. Additionally, a certified legal investigator has an average salary of $49,535, which is higher than the $32,824 average annual salary of a store detective.

The top three skills for a certified legal investigator include law enforcement agencies, federal agencies and incident management. The most important skills for a store detective are store management, cash handling, and CCTV.

Certified legal investigator vs store detective overview

	Certified Legal Investigator	Store Detective
Yearly salary	$49,535	$32,824
Hourly rate	$23.81	$15.78
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	43,351	67,322
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

Certified legal investigator vs store detective salary

Certified legal investigators and store detectives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Certified Legal Investigator	Store Detective
Average salary	$49,535	$32,824
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $89,000	Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between certified legal investigator and store detective education

There are a few differences between a certified legal investigator and a store detective in terms of educational background:

	Certified Legal Investigator	Store Detective
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	California State University - Bakersfield

Certified legal investigator vs store detective demographics

Here are the differences between certified legal investigators' and store detectives' demographics:

	Certified Legal Investigator	Store Detective
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%	Male, 73.9% Female, 26.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.1% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 4.8% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 13.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 4.7% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between certified legal investigator and store detective duties and responsibilities

Certified legal investigator example responsibilities.

Participate in and lead the controlled purchase of illegal narcotics and firearms to apprehend suspects.
Take and submit DNA evidence.
Create quality control documentation associate with manufacturing process, raw materials and quality testing procedures according to corporate and FDA guidelines.
Perform surveillance of suspects using binoculars, cameras and camcorders.

Store detective example responsibilities.

Manage foreclosure and bankruptcy from inception to completion and mitigate all potential losses within an acceptable range.
Patrol and secure perimeter of the facility and grounds.
Keep vigilant patrol over the store's sales areas to ensure a safe shopping experience for customers.
Conduct daily surveillance using CCTV system and undercover observation.
Initiate and conduct investigations concerning illegal narcotics and firearms trafficking and perform official duty as an undercover operative during those investigations.
Conduct safety and EAS audits.

Certified legal investigator vs store detective skills

Common certified legal investigator skills

Law Enforcement Agencies, 46%
Federal Agencies, 27%
Incident Management, 27%

Common store detective skills

Store Management, 25%
Cash Handling, 21%
CCTV, 19%
Sales Floor, 8%
Law Enforcement Officials, 5%
Financial Crimes, 4%

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Certified Legal Investigator
Certified Legal Investigator vs Store Detective

Updated January 8, 2025

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