Federal air marshal vs federal investigator

The differences between federal air marshals and federal 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 federal air marshal and a federal investigator. Additionally, a federal investigator has an average salary of $50,277, which is higher than the $46,065 average annual salary of a federal air marshal.

The top three skills for a federal air marshal include federal air, surveillance detection and emergency situations. The most important skills for a federal investigator are background investigations, law enforcement agencies, and litigation.

Federal air marshal vs federal investigator overview

	Federal Air Marshal	Federal Investigator
Yearly salary	$46,065	$50,277
Hourly rate	$22.15	$24.17
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	2,188	5,213
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Federal air marshal vs federal investigator salary

Federal air marshals and federal investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Federal Air Marshal	Federal Investigator
Average salary	$46,065	$50,277
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $78,000	Between $33,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between federal air marshal and federal investigator education

There are a few differences between a federal air marshal and a federal investigator in terms of educational background:

	Federal Air Marshal	Federal Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Federal air marshal vs federal investigator demographics

Here are the differences between federal air marshals' and federal investigators' demographics:

	Federal Air Marshal	Federal Investigator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6%	Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between federal air marshal and federal investigator duties and responsibilities

Federal air marshal example responsibilities.

Lead 70 felony-level investigations which ensure the safety and security of over 7K personnel and 3.4B in DoD resources.
Analyze and enter civil subpoenas for service throughout the district.
Update project status' weekly into DAPTIV a project management software available to the USMS.
Seize illegal drugs, firearms, and vehicles used in the commission of an offense.
Present formal and informal briefings within OPM and to other agencies ensuring a wide understanding of suitability matters.
Safeguard sensitive, classify information in accordance with DoD policies and regulations and interpret government, corporate or client policies.

Federal investigator example responsibilities.

Investigate and open cases on customers and non-customers who have potentially engage in activity which goes against federally mandate BSA/AML regulations.
Handle and safeguard sensitive and confidential information, including personal identifiable information (PII).

Federal air marshal vs federal investigator skills

Common federal air marshal skills

Federal Air, 19%
Surveillance Detection, 8%
Emergency Situations, 6%
Firearms Proficiency, 6%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 6%
Air Carriers, 6%

Common federal investigator skills

Background Investigations, 10%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 9%
Litigation, 8%
Federal Agencies, 8%
Security Clearance, 6%
Subpoenas, 6%

Federal Air Marshal vs. similar jobs

Federal Air Marshal related careers

Federal Air Marshal related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Protective Service Industry
Federal Air Marshal
Federal Air Marshal vs Federal Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse protective service jobs