Forensic investigator vs criminalist

The differences between forensic investigators and criminalists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a forensic investigator and a criminalist. Additionally, a criminalist has an average salary of $68,152, which is higher than the $52,267 average annual salary of a forensic investigator.

The top three skills for a forensic investigator include incident response, windows and FTK. The most important skills for a criminalist are physical evidence, laboratory reports, and body fluids.

Forensic investigator vs criminalist overview

	Forensic Investigator	Criminalist
Yearly salary	$52,267	$68,152
Hourly rate	$25.13	$32.77
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	5,032	14,872
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

What does a forensic investigator do?

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.

What does a criminalist do?

A criminalist works in the forensic science or law enforcement field. Their duties depend upon the agency or place they work for, but they are often responsible for conducting crime investigations, studying crime scenes, gathering and examining evidence, processing evidence, and coordinating with investigators. They must also prepare and process documents, present detailed results and reports to investigators, and sometimes testify in court.

Forensic investigator vs criminalist salary

Forensic investigators and criminalists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forensic Investigator	Criminalist
Average salary	$52,267	$68,152
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $98,000	Between $36,000 And $127,000
Highest paying City	-	San Mateo, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	City of Los Angeles
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between forensic investigator and criminalist education

There are a few differences between a forensic investigator and a criminalist in terms of educational background:

	Forensic Investigator	Criminalist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Chemistry
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	California State University - Bakersfield

Forensic investigator vs criminalist demographics

Here are the differences between forensic investigators' and criminalists' demographics:

	Forensic Investigator	Criminalist
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%	Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.4% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between forensic investigator and criminalist duties and responsibilities

Forensic investigator example responsibilities.

Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Prepare investigative reports, scientific forensic analysis reports and other documents in support of civil litigation.
Perform in-depth forensic analysis of Macintosh computer hard drives and prepare expert report for use in ongoing litigation.
Prepare affidavits of information and apply for investigative or grand jury subpoenas and other legal orders necessary for a thorough investigation.
Present to schools, community organizations, and local corporations prevention techniques in a PowerPoint format.
Evaluate impressions for AFIS (automate fingerprint identification system) potential.

Criminalist example responsibilities.

Perform bone processing and DNA extraction from human remains.
Perform restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and PCR analysis.
Perform preventive maintenance on GC instruments and maintain preventive maintenance records in binders and LIMS.
Analyze controlled and non-control drugs using FTIR, GC/MS, GC/FID, and HPLC methods.
Analyze samples for the presence or absence of control substances using GC-MS, FTIR, microscopy and other chemical tests.
Develop a computerize firearms inspection worksheet that provide a print inspection report and create a firearms database.

Forensic investigator vs criminalist skills

Common forensic investigator skills

Incident Response, 17%
Windows, 12%
FTK, 11%
Litigation, 8%
Physical Evidence, 6%
Digital Evidence, 5%

Common criminalist skills

Physical Evidence, 18%
Laboratory Reports, 7%
Body Fluids, 7%
Quantitative Analysis, 5%
Perform DNA, 5%
Proficiency Testing, 4%

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Forensic Investigator vs Criminalist

Updated January 8, 2025

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