Forensic pathologist vs forensic investigator

The differences between forensic pathologists and forensic investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a forensic pathologist, becoming a forensic investigator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a forensic pathologist has an average salary of $57,239, which is higher than the $52,267 average annual salary of a forensic investigator.

The top three skills for a forensic pathologist include body fluids, and . The most important skills for a forensic investigator are incident response, windows, and FTK.

Forensic pathologist vs forensic investigator overview

	Forensic Pathologist	Forensic Investigator
Yearly salary	$57,239	$52,267
Hourly rate	$27.52	$25.13
Growth rate	16%	11%
Number of jobs	20,624	5,032
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	46	38
Years of experience	2	4

Forensic pathologist vs forensic investigator salary

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

	Forensic Pathologist	Forensic Investigator
Average salary	$57,239	$52,267
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $122,000	Between $27,000 And $98,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between forensic pathologist and forensic investigator education

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

	Forensic Pathologist	Forensic Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Biology	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Stanford University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Forensic pathologist vs forensic investigator demographics

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

	Forensic Pathologist	Forensic Investigator
Average age	46	38
Gender ratio	Male, 47.6% Female, 52.4%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 6.6% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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	12%	8%

Differences between forensic pathologist and forensic investigator duties and responsibilities

Forensic pathologist example responsibilities.

Supervise and manage pathology, microbiology and biochemistry laboratory.
Work independently under protocols for treatment to provide STI risk assessment, treatment, and prophylaxis including emergency contraception.
Work independently under protocols for treatment to provide STI risk assessment, treatment, and prophylaxis including emergency contraception.

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.

Forensic pathologist vs forensic investigator skills

Common forensic pathologist skills

Body Fluids, 100%

Common forensic investigator skills

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

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Forensic Pathologist vs Forensic Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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