Criminal investigative agent vs criminal investigator

The differences between criminal investigative agents and criminal investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a criminal investigative agent has an average salary of $56,775, which is higher than the $54,520 average annual salary of a criminal investigator.

The top three skills for a criminal investigative agent include physical evidence, law enforcement agencies and surveillance operations. The most important skills for a criminal investigator are investigative reports, resourcefulness, and firearms.

Criminal investigative agent vs criminal investigator overview

	Criminal Investigative Agent	Criminal Investigator
Yearly salary	$56,775	$54,520
Hourly rate	$27.30	$26.21
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	25,834	5,131
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	-

Criminal investigative agent vs criminal investigator salary

Criminal investigative agents and criminal investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Criminal Investigative Agent	Criminal Investigator
Average salary	$56,775	$54,520
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $83,000	Between $34,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	National Railroad Passenger Corporation
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between criminal investigative agent and criminal investigator education

There are a few differences between a criminal investigative agent and a criminal investigator in terms of educational background:

	Criminal Investigative Agent	Criminal Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Criminal investigative agent vs criminal investigator demographics

Here are the differences between criminal investigative agents' and criminal investigators' demographics:

	Criminal Investigative Agent	Criminal Investigator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 79.0% Female, 21.0%	Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 2.8% 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%

Differences between criminal investigative agent and criminal investigator duties and responsibilities

Criminal investigative agent example responsibilities.

Conduct joint planning and manage AFOSI's criminal investigations and counterintelligence operations in northern Italy.
Deliver subpoenas and other legal requirements.
Provide direction and guidance on several high-profile homicide investigations, as well as numerous additional criminal and narcotics investigations.
Collect and disseminate intelligence and threat information concerning foreign intelligence and international terrorism to support commands using HUMINT sources.

Criminal investigator example responsibilities.

Conduct joint planning and manage AFOSI's criminal investigations and counterintelligence operations in northern Italy.
Close accounts and file SAR's with FinCEN as warranted.
Write suspicious activity reports (SAR).
Follow up on sub reviews and documentation require information for FinCEN reporting.
Coordinate and conduct firearms training.
Examine discovery, prepare subpoenas, and review pertinent documents.

Criminal investigative agent vs criminal investigator skills

Common criminal investigative agent skills

Physical Evidence, 14%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 9%
Surveillance Operations, 8%
Subpoenas, 7%
Investigative Reports, 6%
Documentary Evidence, 5%

Common criminal investigator skills

Investigative Reports, 13%
Resourcefulness, 11%
Firearms, 11%
Treasury, 9%
Investigative Techniques, 8%
IRS, 6%

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Criminal Investigative Agent
Criminal Investigative Agent vs Criminal Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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