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The differences between criminal justice interns and criminal investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a criminal investigator has an average salary of $54,520, which is higher than the $31,029 average annual salary of a criminal justice internship.
The top three skills for a criminal justice internship include criminal justice, legal research and pre-trial conferences. The most important skills for a criminal investigator are investigative reports, resourcefulness, and firearms.
| Criminal Justice Internship | Criminal Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $31,029 | $54,520 |
| Hourly rate | $14.92 | $26.21 |
| Growth rate | - | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 47,436 | 5,131 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
In a criminal justice internship, an intern gains industry insights and practical experience by observing how criminal justice theories are put into practice. Although their duties can vary upon the directives given by a supervising criminal justice professional or agency of employment, they are usually responsible for performing support tasks such as conducting research and analysis, organizing files, studying criminal cases, and running errands. Some interns may also participate in shadowing police officers, gathering and analyzing evidence, attending hearings, or facilitating public service programs.
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 justice interns and criminal investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Criminal Justice Internship | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average salary | $31,029 | $54,520 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $41,000 | 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 |
There are a few differences between a criminal justice internship and a criminal investigator in terms of educational background:
| Criminal Justice Internship | Criminal Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between criminal justice interns' and criminal investigators' demographics:
| Criminal Justice Internship | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 4.1% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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 | 10% | 9% |