Detective vs law enforcement officer

The differences between detectives and law enforcement officers 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 $39,219 average annual salary of a law enforcement officer.

The top three skills for a detective include physical evidence, patrol and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a law enforcement officer are patrol, public safety, and emergency situations.

Detective vs law enforcement officer overview

	Detective	Law Enforcement Officer
Yearly salary	$57,984	$39,219
Hourly rate	$27.88	$18.86
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	56,521	105,817
Job satisfaction	5	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	44	40
Years of experience	-	-

What does a detective do?

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.

What does a law enforcement officer do?

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.

Detective vs law enforcement officer salary

Detectives and law enforcement officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Detective	Law Enforcement Officer
Average salary	$57,984	$39,219
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $95,000	Between $30,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	University of Nebraska System
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between detective and law enforcement officer education

There are a few differences between a detective and a law enforcement officer in terms of educational background:

	Detective	Law Enforcement Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of Arizona	Pennsylvania State University

Detective vs law enforcement officer demographics

Here are the differences between detectives' and law enforcement officers' demographics:

	Detective	Law Enforcement Officer
Average age	44	40
Gender ratio	Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3%	Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7%
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, 13.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.1% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between detective and law enforcement officer duties and responsibilities

Detective example responsibilities.

Manage all ABC issues and applications for liquor licenses.
Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Monitor wire taps and conduct detailed surveillance of wire tap targets and associates.
Sole provider of data gathering from TIGTA's complaint management system and the IRS for biweekly phishing scam reports.
Connect GPS devices/recorder/audio/video by hard wiring to vehicle power for longer operations.
Optimize critical security of dignitaries by proficiently conducting foot and vehicle patrol of concentration areas.

Law enforcement officer example responsibilities.

Attend NCO leadership school and receive training on how to properly, and effectively manage personnel.
Accomplish scheduled and random security checks of control and classify areas to ensure compliance with DOD resource protection guidelines.
Develop and manage firearms training programs, including weapons selection and qualification standards.
Operate QRV solo, backing up BLS ambulances.
Certify in defensive tactics, firearms, driver's training, professional first aid and CPR.
DOT and FMCSA regulation enforcement.

Detective vs law enforcement officer skills

Common detective skills

Physical Evidence, 15%
Patrol, 13%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
Crime Scenes, 5%
Insurance Fraud, 5%
Public Safety, 5%

Common law enforcement officer skills

Patrol, 26%
Public Safety, 10%
Emergency Situations, 7%
Criminal Justice, 6%
CPR, 3%
Metal Detectors, 3%

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Detective vs Law Enforcement Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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