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The differences between field agents and special agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special agent has an average salary of $60,916, which is higher than the $37,324 average annual salary of a field agent.
The top three skills for a field agent include GPS, long-term care and health insurance. The most important skills for a special agent are professional work, national security, and local law enforcement.
| Field Agent | Special Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $37,324 | $60,916 |
| Hourly rate | $17.94 | $29.29 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 96,067 | 46,232 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Field agents are the ones who work and do their job not inside the four corners of the office; instead, they do the assigned task outside. They often are expected to have good communication skills so that they can get a response from the most unwilling person in the area. Besides, they must also possess good character traits and professionalism to effectively address higher-up's concerns. As the man on the field, they provide customer support more effectively.
A special agent is responsible for investigating law violations and criminal activities by collecting pieces of evidence, including witnesses' testimonies, to release a warrant of arrest and initiate prosecution. Special agents work closely with other law enforcement agencies to identify threats, analyze occurring criminal activities, and connect intelligence records through observation and field investigations. They also attend court proceedings to present evidence for court decisions. A special agent must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, assessing unusual situations, and handling suspicious activities.
Field agents and special agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Agent | Special Agent | |
| Average salary | $37,324 | $60,916 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $51,000 | Between $43,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Smith Seckman Reid | BNSF Railway |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a field agent and a special agent in terms of educational background:
| Field Agent | Special Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between field agents' and special agents' demographics:
| Field Agent | Special Agent | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0% | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 4.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 9% |