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The differences between crime analysts and criminal investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a crime analyst has an average salary of $60,253, which is higher than the $54,520 average annual salary of a criminal investigator.
The top three skills for a crime analyst include criminal justice, AML and patrol. The most important skills for a criminal investigator are investigative reports, resourcefulness, and firearms.
| Crime Analyst | Criminal Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $60,253 | $54,520 |
| Hourly rate | $28.97 | $26.21 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 29,095 | 5,131 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A crime analyst specializes in gathering and processing data to help law enforcement solve and prevent crimes. They prioritize accurate and sufficient data collection, which is why they visit crime scenes to collect pieces of evidence such as DNA and photographs according to a set of protocols. They must also conduct interviews with witnesses, possible suspects, first responders, and other law enforcement officers. Through the evidence gathered, a crime analyst produces detailed results and reports that will help police officers and detectives to navigate through the cases.
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.
Crime analysts and criminal investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Crime Analyst | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average salary | $60,253 | $54,520 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $82,000 | Between $34,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baton Rouge, LA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Louisiana | California |
| Best paying company | Citi | National Railroad Passenger Corporation |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a crime analyst and a criminal investigator in terms of educational background:
| Crime Analyst | Criminal Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | - |
Here are the differences between crime analysts' and criminal investigators' demographics:
| Crime Analyst | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.7% Female, 53.3% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 2.9% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 9% | 9% |