Federal investigator vs senior investigator

The differences between federal investigators 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 federal investigator and a senior investigator. Additionally, a senior investigator has an average salary of $61,240, 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 a senior investigator are senior level management, local law enforcement, and claims handling.

Federal investigator vs senior investigator overview

	Federal Investigator	Senior Investigator
Yearly salary	$50,277	$61,240
Hourly rate	$24.17	$29.44
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	5,213	4,525
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Federal investigator vs senior investigator salary

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

	Federal Investigator	Senior Investigator
Average salary	$50,277	$61,240
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $76,000	Between $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 federal investigator and senior investigator education

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

	Federal Investigator	Senior Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Federal investigator vs senior investigator demographics

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

	Federal Investigator	Senior Investigator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1%	Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6%
Race ratio	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%	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 Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between federal investigator and senior 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).

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.

Federal investigator vs senior investigator skills

Common federal investigator skills

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

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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Federal Investigator
Federal Investigator vs Senior Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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