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The differences between fingerprint technicians and forensic investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a fingerprint technician and a forensic investigator. Additionally, a forensic investigator has an average salary of $52,267, which is higher than the $39,867 average annual salary of a fingerprint technician.
The top three skills for a fingerprint technician include customer service, citizenship and USCIS. The most important skills for a forensic investigator are incident response, windows, and FTK.
| Fingerprint Technician | Forensic Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $39,867 | $52,267 |
| Hourly rate | $19.17 | $25.13 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 23,737 | 5,032 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Fingerprint Technician specializes in reviewing and classifying fingerprints, processing them according to their purpose. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their place or employment industry, it typically includes assisting clients in fingerprinting processes, facilitating fingerprint scanning methods, utilizing software to record and organize data, and maintaining an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow. When it comes to employment, a Fingerprint Technician may work for government agencies, law enforcement, and forensic laboratories.
A forensic investigator is responsible for collecting evidence and pieces of a clue to solve a complicated incident. A forensic investigator must have strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to handle various cases that would require intensive research and scientific principles application. Forensic investigators usually work closely with law enforcement personnel to identify all possible sources and secure evidence for further examination. They also study the scene where the incident happened, document observations, creating investigation reports, and communicating with several witnesses that would support possible claims.
Fingerprint technicians and forensic investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fingerprint Technician | Forensic Investigator | |
| Average salary | $39,867 | $52,267 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $60,000 | Between $27,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a fingerprint technician and a forensic investigator in terms of educational background:
| Fingerprint Technician | Forensic Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between fingerprint technicians' and forensic investigators' demographics:
| Fingerprint Technician | Forensic Investigator | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 10.5% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |