Child protective investigator vs juvenile probation officer

The differences between child protective investigators and juvenile probation officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a child protective investigator and a juvenile probation officer. Additionally, a child protective investigator has an average salary of $47,903, which is higher than the $46,765 average annual salary of a juvenile probation officer.

The top three skills for a child protective investigator include patrol, social work and local law enforcement. The most important skills for a juvenile probation officer are mental health, social work, and rehabilitation.

Child protective investigator vs juvenile probation officer overview

	Child Protective Investigator	Juvenile Probation Officer
Yearly salary	$47,903	$46,765
Hourly rate	$23.03	$22.48
Growth rate	9%	-
Number of jobs	15,938	66,217
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	42	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a child protective investigator do?

A child protective investigator is responsible for investigating incident reports for child-violating cases, collecting court evidence of child abuse, and keeping the child under safe custody for protection. Child protective investigators conduct field investigations by locating the area of concern, interviewing witnesses, and analyzing similar cases of violence. They coordinate with medical professionals to check the child's condition and record any signs of trauma and injuries. A child protective investigator may also attend court procedures to represent the child and testify to press charges with the abuser.

What does a juvenile probation officer do?

A juvenile probation officer is in charge of managing and supervising cases of youth offenders who are under parole or probation. Their responsibilities typically revolve around monitoring the youth offenders' activities by conducting regular visits and interviews, recommending rehabilitation plans, testifying in court as needed, and coordinating with external parties such as schools, social services, and law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, as a juvenile probation officer, it is essential to serve as a positive role model to the young offenders, all while enforcing discipline and good conduct.

Child protective investigator vs juvenile probation officer salary

Child protective investigators and juvenile probation officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child Protective Investigator	Juvenile Probation Officer
Average salary	$47,903	$46,765
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $61,000	Between $30,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Camden, NJ	Las Vegas, NV
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	Saks Fifth Avenue	Clark County
Best paying industry	Government	Professional

Differences between child protective investigator and juvenile probation officer education

There are a few differences between a child protective investigator and a juvenile probation officer in terms of educational background:

	Child Protective Investigator	Juvenile Probation Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	SUNY at Albany	California State University - Long Beach

Child protective investigator vs juvenile probation officer demographics

Here are the differences between child protective investigators' and juvenile probation officers' demographics:

	Child Protective Investigator	Juvenile Probation Officer
Average age	42	44
Gender ratio	Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6%	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 14.0% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between child protective investigator and juvenile probation officer duties and responsibilities

Child protective investigator example responsibilities.

Utilize locating systems, negotiate agreements, file motions and prepare subpoenas.
Review and approve time sheets, mileage reports for CPI assign to the unit.
Complete timely findings including determining if someone should be place on the child abuse registry.
Investigate reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation that are report to the state abuse hotline.
Respond to Hotline reports, conduct child safety assessments, and determine immediate risk to child.
Review child safety assessments as submitted by CPI, and provide direction and guidance in the investigation.

Juvenile probation officer example responsibilities.

Manage significant DUI caseload to court-ordered and conditional probation completion.
Provide case management, treatment, supervision, counseling and rehabilitation of both adjudicate and non-adjudicate juvenile offenders in various settings.
Facilitate physicals restraint courses and CPR training classes.
Complete training in CPR, first aid, and physical restraint techniques.
Supervise offenders on probation and parole, complete social histories/assessments/investigations for the sentencing court or parole board, case management.
Administer random urinalysis on an as needed basis.

Child protective investigator vs juvenile probation officer skills

Common child protective investigator skills

Patrol, 35%
Social Work, 16%
Local Law Enforcement, 7%
CCTV, 4%
Child Protective, 4%
Family Dynamics, 3%

Common juvenile probation officer skills

Mental Health, 9%
Social Work, 7%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Substance Abuse, 6%
Court Orders, 6%
Competency Development, 6%

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Child Protective Investigator
Child Protective Investigator vs Juvenile Probation Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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