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The differences between crime specialists and fingerprint technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a crime specialist and a fingerprint technician. Additionally, a fingerprint technician has an average salary of $39,867, which is higher than the $35,227 average annual salary of a crime specialist.
The top three skills for a crime specialist include criminal justice, anti-money laundering and secrecy. The most important skills for a fingerprint technician are customer service, citizenship, and USCIS.
| Crime Specialist | Fingerprint Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,227 | $39,867 |
| Hourly rate | $16.94 | $19.17 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 1,239 | 23,737 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The duties of a Crime Specialist usually depend on their place of employment. Their responsibilities include visiting crime scenes, gathering and analyzing pieces of evidence, conducting interviews with witnesses, utilizing forensic equipment and techniques, taking photographs or videos, and preparing reports and other paperwork. They may also attend court hearings, provide insights, and train new members of the workforce. Crime Specialists work together with law enforcement, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
A Fingerprint Technician specializes in reviewing and classifying fingerprints, processing them according to their purpose. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their place or employment industry, it typically includes assisting clients in fingerprinting processes, facilitating fingerprint scanning methods, utilizing software to record and organize data, and maintaining an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow. When it comes to employment, a Fingerprint Technician may work for government agencies, law enforcement, and forensic laboratories.
Crime specialists and fingerprint technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Crime Specialist | Fingerprint Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,227 | $39,867 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $26,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salt Lake City, UT | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Collabera | - |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a crime specialist and a fingerprint technician in terms of educational background:
| Crime Specialist | Fingerprint Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between crime specialists' and fingerprint technicians' demographics:
| Crime Specialist | Fingerprint Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9% | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 10.5% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |