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Drug enforcement agent vs senior investigator

The differences between drug enforcement agents and senior investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a drug enforcement agent and a senior investigator. Additionally, a drug enforcement agent has an average salary of $65,372, which is higher than the $61,240 average annual salary of a senior investigator.

The top three skills for a drug enforcement agent include patrol, DEA and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a senior investigator are senior level management, local law enforcement, and claims handling.

Drug enforcement agent vs senior investigator overview

Drug Enforcement AgentSenior Investigator
Yearly salary$65,372$61,240
Hourly rate$31.43$29.44
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs26,2684,525
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

Drug enforcement agent vs senior investigator salary

Drug enforcement agents and senior investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Drug Enforcement AgentSenior Investigator
Average salary$65,372$61,240
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $107,000Between $35,000 And $105,000
Highest paying City-Frederick, MD
Highest paying state-Maryland
Best paying company-DLA Piper
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between drug enforcement agent and senior investigator education

There are a few differences between a drug enforcement agent and a senior investigator in terms of educational background:

Drug Enforcement AgentSenior Investigator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common college--

Drug enforcement agent vs senior investigator demographics

Here are the differences between drug enforcement agents' and senior investigators' demographics:

Drug Enforcement AgentSenior Investigator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 70.2% Female, 29.8%Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between drug enforcement agent and senior investigator duties and responsibilities

Drug enforcement agent example responsibilities.

  • Conduct joint planning and manage AFOSI's criminal investigations and counterintelligence operations in northern Italy.
  • Assist DDA with administrative personnel matters.
  • Serve administrative subpoenas for patient documents, prescription profiles, and phone tolls to obtain pertinent information for investigations.
  • Guide and advise lead security managers for major defense contractors and countless other DOD organizations, regarding their security programs.
  • Guide and advise lead security managers for major defense contractors and countless other DOD organizations, regarding their security programs.

Senior investigator example responsibilities.

  • Investigate allegations of suspect FWA / prioritize and manage case load / maintain comprehensive case files.
  • Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
  • Create budget friendly evidence collection boxes for investigations and patrol officers.
  • Send specimens to laboratory to obtain DNA.
  • Participate on committees and teams supporting GMP compliance programs.
  • Collect possible DNA samples from the scene, victims, and suspects.
    • Show more

Drug enforcement agent vs senior investigator skills

Common drug enforcement agent skills
  • Patrol, 35%
  • DEA, 19%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 14%
  • Criminal Investigations, 10%
  • Drug Enforcement Administration, 5%
  • Enforcement Administration, 5%
Common senior investigator skills
  • Senior Level Management, 13%
  • Local Law Enforcement, 9%
  • Claims Handling, 8%
  • Court Proceedings, 8%
  • Data Analysis, 4%
  • Management System, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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