Fire investigator vs investigator

The differences between fire investigators and investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a fire investigator and an investigator. Additionally, an investigator has an average salary of $71,406, which is higher than the $64,364 average annual salary of a fire investigator.

The top three skills for a fire investigator include NFPA, scientific methods and legal proceedings. The most important skills for an investigator are law enforcement agencies, management system, and customer service.

Fire investigator vs investigator overview

	Fire Investigator	Investigator
Yearly salary	$64,364	$71,406
Hourly rate	$30.94	$34.33
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	20,597	5,085
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	49	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a fire investigator do?

Fire investigators are the people who determine how the fire started and why the fire behaved the way it did. Fire investigation is important because the data collected can be used for future fires from happening. Fire investigators will collect evidence, identify any potential accelerants, and the cause of a fire on the scene. At times, they also interview the witness and assist in identifying offenders in the cases of arson and suspects. Being an active listener, having precise judgment, a critical thinker, and having the skills to communicate properly, whether verbally or in written form, are the skills needed for this profession.

What does an investigator do?

Criminal investigators play an essential role in criminal justice and law enforcement. Their job entails solving open cases that may take them weeks or even months to accomplish. Collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and arresting suspects are among their many tasks. They work at every level of criminal justice and law enforcement. For criminal investigators to succeed in their profession, they should have sound judgment, strong communication skills, ethical standards, physical fitness, and empathy. They also benefit from strong job prospects, in addition to an exciting and rewarding job.

Fire investigator vs investigator salary

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

	Fire Investigator	Investigator
Average salary	$64,364	$71,406
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $95,000	Between $42,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Apple
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between fire investigator and investigator education

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

	Fire Investigator	Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Fire Science And Protection	Criminal Justice
Most common college	John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York	California State University - Bakersfield

Fire investigator vs investigator demographics

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

	Fire Investigator	Investigator
Average age	49	44
Gender ratio	Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5%	Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 1.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%	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 Percentage	18%	8%

Differences between fire investigator and investigator duties and responsibilities

Fire investigator example responsibilities.

Manage repair processes in a timely fashion to mitigate claims cost and reduce litigation exposure.
Supervise the patrol officers in assisting and leading them in their performance of their duties.
Provide recommendations to assist in the determination of claim settlement or litigation.
Work closely with patrol, investigation, and at-large representatives to avoid costly collective bargaining problems.
Assist attorneys in misdemeanor civil/criminal cases by delivering subpoenas, interviewing witnesses, collecting and documenting evidence relate to open cases.
Utilize insurance investigative databases (ISO, NCIB) to review history and complete thorough investigations.

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.

Fire investigator vs investigator skills

Common fire investigator skills

NFPA, 42%
Scientific Methods, 13%
Legal Proceedings, 10%
Litigation, 8%
Fire Scenes, 5%
Evidence Collection, 4%

Common investigator skills

Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%
Management System, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Criminal Justice, 5%
Senior Level Management, 4%
Child Abuse, 4%

Fire Investigator vs. similar jobs

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Investigator responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

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