Forensic investigator vs investigator

The differences between forensic investigators and investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a forensic investigator, becoming an investigator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an investigator has an average salary of $71,406, 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 an investigator are law enforcement agencies, management system, and customer service.

Forensic investigator vs investigator overview

	Forensic Investigator	Investigator
Yearly salary	$52,267	$71,406
Hourly rate	$25.13	$34.33
Growth rate	11%	6%
Number of jobs	5,032	5,085
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	38	44
Years of experience	4	6

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 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.

Forensic investigator vs investigator salary

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

	Forensic Investigator	Investigator
Average salary	$52,267	$71,406
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $98,000	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 forensic investigator and investigator education

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

	Forensic Investigator	Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	California State University - Bakersfield

Forensic investigator vs investigator demographics

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

	Forensic Investigator	Investigator
Average age	38	44
Gender ratio	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%	Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4%
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, 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	8%	8%

Differences between forensic investigator and investigator 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.

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.

Forensic investigator vs investigator skills

Common forensic investigator skills

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

Common investigator skills

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

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Forensic Investigator
Forensic Investigator vs Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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