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Federal investigator vs investigator

The differences between federal investigators and investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a federal investigator, becoming an investigator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an investigator has an average salary of $71,406, which is higher than the $50,277 average annual salary of a federal investigator.

The top three skills for a federal investigator include background investigations, law enforcement agencies and litigation. The most important skills for an investigator are law enforcement agencies, management system, and customer service.

Federal investigator vs investigator overview

Federal InvestigatorInvestigator
Yearly salary$50,277$71,406
Hourly rate$24.17$34.33
Growth rate3%6%
Number of jobs5,2135,085
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age4444
Years of experience26

Federal investigator vs investigator salary

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

Federal InvestigatorInvestigator
Average salary$50,277$71,406
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $76,000Between $42,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Apple
Best paying industry--

Differences between federal investigator and investigator education

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

Federal InvestigatorInvestigator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common college-California State University - Bakersfield

Federal investigator vs investigator demographics

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

Federal InvestigatorInvestigator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 56.9% Female, 43.1%Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 13.5% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 4.7% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage9%8%

Differences between federal investigator and investigator duties and responsibilities

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).

Investigator example responsibilities.

  • Participate in and lead the controlled purchase of illegal narcotics and firearms to apprehend suspects.
  • Manage all business reporting to include; payroll, taxes, client billing, account reconciliations and compliance reports.
  • Manage corporate-wide document production relative to complex litigation cases.
  • Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
  • Collaborate with federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF and IRS.
  • Write a detail case report, and attach all supporting documentation necessary to write up SAR's where necessary per BSA.
  • Show more

Federal investigator vs investigator skills

Common federal investigator skills
  • Background Investigations, 10%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 9%
  • Litigation, 8%
  • Federal Agencies, 8%
  • Security Clearance, 6%
  • Subpoenas, 6%
Common investigator skills
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%
  • Management System, 6%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Criminal Justice, 5%
  • Senior Level Management, 4%
  • Child Abuse, 4%

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