Detective sergeant vs criminal investigator

The differences between detective sergeants 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 $52,546 average annual salary of a detective sergeant.

The top three skills for a detective sergeant include patrol, evidence collection and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a criminal investigator are investigative reports, resourcefulness, and firearms.

Detective sergeant vs criminal investigator overview

	Detective Sergeant	Criminal Investigator
Yearly salary	$52,546	$54,520
Hourly rate	$25.26	$26.21
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	938	5,131
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	46	44
Years of experience	-	-

Detective sergeant vs criminal investigator salary

Detective sergeants and criminal investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Detective Sergeant	Criminal Investigator
Average salary	$52,546	$54,520
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $67,000	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

Differences between detective sergeant and criminal investigator education

There are a few differences between a detective sergeant and a criminal investigator in terms of educational background:

	Detective Sergeant	Criminal Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	-

Detective sergeant vs criminal investigator demographics

Here are the differences between detective sergeants' and criminal investigators' demographics:

	Detective Sergeant	Criminal Investigator
Average age	46	44
Gender ratio	Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3%	Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 1.8% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	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	11%	9%

Differences between detective sergeant and criminal investigator duties and responsibilities

Detective sergeant example responsibilities.

Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Assist in writing standards for certification for the firearms unit.
Supervise detective squad, identify monthly investigation outcomes, create staffing schedules, perform stake-outs, monitor wire taps ,
Establish probable cause to obtain warrants, leading to arrests and the seizure of narcotics, firearms and other contraband.
Deliver subpoenas and other documents as requested by attorneys.
Supervise detectives attaining search warrants, subpoenas and financial/phone/computer records.

Criminal investigator example responsibilities.

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.

Detective sergeant vs criminal investigator skills

Common detective sergeant skills

Patrol, 20%
Evidence Collection, 10%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 10%
Homicide, 6%
Burglary, 4%
Criminal Cases, 4%

Common criminal investigator skills

Investigative Reports, 13%
Resourcefulness, 11%
Firearms, 11%
Treasury, 9%
Investigative Techniques, 8%
IRS, 6%

Detective Sergeant vs. similar jobs

Detective Sergeant related careers

Detective Sergeant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Protective Service Industry
Detective Sergeant
Detective Sergeant vs Criminal Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse protective service jobs