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The differences between detectives and criminal investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detective has an average salary of $57,984, which is higher than the $54,520 average annual salary of a criminal investigator.
The top three skills for a detective include physical evidence, patrol and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a criminal investigator are investigative reports, resourcefulness, and firearms.
| Detective | Criminal Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $57,984 | $54,520 |
| Hourly rate | $27.88 | $26.21 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 56,521 | 5,131 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A detective is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations for criminal activities, potential threats, and other law-violating incidents, coordinating closely with law-enforcement agencies and crime intelligence analysts. Detectives often work on the field, gathering data and related evidence to support claims and connect the timeline of events. They keep an organized record of their findings for further validation before reporting it to the authority. A detective must have excellent investigative and critical-thinking skills, especially on solving puzzles and security solutions.
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.
Detectives and criminal investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Detective | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average salary | $57,984 | $54,520 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $95,000 | 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 detective and a criminal investigator in terms of educational background:
| Detective | Criminal Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | University of Arizona | - |
Here are the differences between detectives' and criminal investigators' demographics:
| Detective | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% 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% |