Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between criminal investigations division investigators and private investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a criminal investigations division investigator, becoming a private investigator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a criminal investigations division investigator has an average salary of $54,381, which is higher than the $48,019 average annual salary of a private investigator.
The top three skills for a criminal investigations division investigator include litigation, law enforcement agencies and federal agencies. The most important skills for a private investigator are background checks, background investigations, and video surveillance.
Criminal investigations division investigators and private investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Criminal Investigations Division Investigator | Private Investigator | |
| Average salary | $54,381 | $48,019 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $88,000 | Between $29,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a criminal investigations division investigator and a private investigator in terms of educational background:
| Criminal Investigations Division Investigator | Private Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between criminal investigations division investigators' and private investigators' demographics:
| Criminal Investigations Division Investigator | Private Investigator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.9% Female, 34.1% | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |