What does a criminal investigator do?

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.
Criminal investigator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real criminal investigator resumes:
- 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.
- Prepare detail reports including evidence to support arrests and prosecutions.
- Issue administrative subpoenas and conduct investigative research to locate subjects for apprehension.
- Ensure accuracy and completeness of all reports from patrol officers and investigators.
- Travele in police helicopters while conducting surveillance in attempts to locate marijuana fields.
- Conduct many complex homicide investigations which are high profile in nature and have received tremendous media attention and scrutiny.
- Provide direction and guidance on several high-profile homicide investigations, as well as numerous additional criminal and narcotics investigations.
- Deal with a variety of situations: accidents, vandalism, trespassing, robbery, abuse, etc.
- Establish a review procedure with IRS and assign an analyst.
- Send out monthly SIU newspaper.
Criminal investigator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Criminal Investigators are proficient in Investigative Reports, Resourcefulness, and Firearms. They’re also known for soft skills such as Empathy, Good judgment, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Criminal Investigators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Investigative Reports, 13%
Authored federal criminal investigative reports, facility threat assessments, intelligence information reports, intelligence assessments, and protective detail reports.
- Resourcefulness, 11%
Applied resourcefulness, initiative and on-the-spot inference to develop new avenues for further fact-finding.
- Firearms, 11%
Conducted investigations of violations relating to Federal firearm laws, explosives, arson, and alcohol and tobacco diversion.
- Treasury, 9%
Document findings via Suspicions Activity Report summaries for submission to the Department of Treasury s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
- Investigative Techniques, 8%
Conducted criminal investigations of local, state and federal law violations using a variety of investigative techniques and undercover operations.
- IRS, 6%
Prepared and served IRS Administrative Summonses and Grand Jury Subpoenas to obtain books, records, and statements.
Most criminal investigators use their skills in "investigative reports," "resourcefulness," and "firearms" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential criminal investigator responsibilities here:
Empathy. One of the key soft skills for a criminal investigator to have is empathy. You can see how this relates to what criminal investigators do because "police officers need to understand the perspectives of a variety of people in their jurisdiction and be willing to help the public." Additionally, a criminal investigator resume shows how criminal investigators use empathy: "developed investigative techniques and understanding tax law. "
Good judgment. Another essential skill to perform criminal investigator duties is good judgment. Criminal investigators responsibilities require that "police and detectives must be able to determine the best way to solve an array of problems." Criminal investigators also use good judgment in their role according to a real resume snippet: "qualified patrol officer maintaining good order and discipline on base and housing areas. "
Leadership skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of criminal investigators is leadership skills. This skill is critical to many everyday criminal investigator duties, as "police officers must be comfortable with being a highly visible member of their community, as the public looks to them for help in emergencies." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "presented case briefings to supervisors, relevant agency leadership, attorneys, courts, and other federal agencies. "
Physical strength. A big part of what criminal investigators do relies on "physical strength." You can see how essential it is to criminal investigator responsibilities because "police officers must be strong enough to physically apprehend suspects and to assist people in precarious situations." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical criminal investigator tasks: "process crime scenes related to homicides, physical and sexual assaults. "
Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in criminal investigator job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what criminal investigators do. Criminal investigator responsibilities rely on this skill because "police and detectives must be able to speak with people and to express details in writing about an incident." You can also see how criminal investigator duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "documented investigations and prepared investigative reports and other forms of written communication. "
The three companies that hire the most criminal investigators are:
- State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia59 criminal investigators jobs
- State Of Montana5 criminal investigators jobs
- Federal Reserve Bank2 criminal investigators jobs
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Criminal investigator vs. Public safety officer
Public relations assistants are professionals who are responsible for creating and distributing promotional materials to help clients increase their public image and awareness of their products and services. These assistants are required to help develop and distribute public relations materials such as brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, and sell sheets. They must handle all the communications of their clients to the public by supervising social media content, press releases, and emails. Public relations assistants must also gather materials to be used in trade shows or client presentations.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a criminal investigator are more likely to require skills like "investigative reports," "resourcefulness," "firearms," and "treasury." On the other hand, a job as a public safety officer requires skills like "patients," "public safety," "customer service," and "cpr." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Public safety officers tend to make the most money working in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $38,645. In contrast, criminal investigators make the biggest average salary, $52,921, in the government industry.On average, public safety officers reach lower levels of education than criminal investigators. Public safety officers are 7.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Criminal investigator vs. Police officer
Police officers are responsible for keeping peace and security in a community. They uphold and enforce the law. They ensure that people in their assigned community follow the law. They also ensure that proper sanctions are given out to anyone who does not follow. Some police officers are assigned in the field, meaning they work outside of police stations. Those assigned to police stations are responsible for maintaining administrative matters as well, aside from maintaining peace and order. Police officers are expected to be trustworthy, to work with honor, and to keep their integrity intact.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, criminal investigator responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "investigative reports," "resourcefulness," "treasury," and "investigative techniques." Meanwhile, a police officer has duties that require skills in areas such as "public safety," "emergency situations," "field training," and "cpr." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, police officers earn a lower salary than criminal investigators. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, police officers earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $53,822. Whereas criminal investigators have higher pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $52,921.police officers earn similar levels of education than criminal investigators in general. They're 4.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for criminal investigators in the next 3-5 years?
National Director, President of Lajoie Investigations, Inc, of MA, NALI - National Association of Legal Investigators
Criminal investigator vs. Law enforcement officer
The duties of a law enforcement officer depend on their line of work or agency of employment. In general, they are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations, prioritizing the safety of citizens and the protection of the city. Typically, their responsibilities include patrolling their designated area, responding to distress, monitoring suspicious activities and characters, conducting investigations and inspections, and coordinating various services to assist citizens. Moreover, as a law enforcement officer, it is essential to serve as a role model for citizens and uphold the oath to serve and protect.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a criminal investigator is likely to be skilled in "resourcefulness," "treasury," "investigative techniques," and "irs," while a typical law enforcement officer is skilled in "public safety," "emergency situations," "cpr," and "metal detectors."
Law enforcement officers make a very good living in the government industry with an average annual salary of $42,104. On the other hand, criminal investigators are paid the highest salary in the government industry, with average annual pay of $52,921.When it comes to education, law enforcement officers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to criminal investigators. In fact, they're 1.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Criminal investigator vs. Deputy
The duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat. There are also instances when a deputy must serve court documents, transport detainees or suspected criminals, and monitor courtrooms. Furthermore, a deputy reports to higher-ranking officers such as a sheriff.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between criminal investigators and deputies, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a criminal investigator might have more use for skills like "investigative reports," "resourcefulness," "treasury," and "investigative techniques." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of deputies require skills like "public safety," "transport inmates," "emergency situations," and "cpr. "
The manufacturing industry tends to pay the highest salaries for deputies, with average annual pay of $53,877. Comparatively, the highest criminal investigator annual salary comes from the government industry.deputies reach similar levels of education compared to criminal investigators, in general. The difference is that they're 1.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of criminal investigator
Updated January 8, 2025











