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The differences between criminal investigative agents and internal affairs investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a criminal investigative agent and an internal affairs investigator. Additionally, a criminal investigative agent has an average salary of $56,775, which is higher than the $54,189 average annual salary of an internal affairs investigator.
The top three skills for a criminal investigative agent include physical evidence, law enforcement agencies and surveillance operations. The most important skills for an internal affairs investigator are patrol, background checks, and conduct interviews.
Criminal investigative agents and internal affairs investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Criminal Investigative Agent | Internal Affairs Investigator | |
| Average salary | $56,775 | $54,189 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $83,000 | Between $25,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | Maryland |
| Best paying company | - | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a criminal investigative agent and an internal affairs investigator in terms of educational background:
| Criminal Investigative Agent | Internal Affairs Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between criminal investigative agents' and internal affairs investigators' demographics:
| Criminal Investigative Agent | Internal Affairs Investigator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.0% Female, 21.0% | Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0% |
| 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, 11.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |