Forensic specialist vs forensic investigator

The differences between forensic specialists 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 forensic specialist and a forensic investigator. Additionally, a forensic investigator has an average salary of $52,267, which is higher than the $51,653 average annual salary of a forensic specialist.

The top three skills for a forensic specialist include social work, encase and criminal justice. The most important skills for a forensic investigator are incident response, windows, and FTK.

Forensic specialist vs forensic investigator overview

	Forensic Specialist	Forensic Investigator
Yearly salary	$51,653	$52,267
Hourly rate	$24.83	$25.13
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	1,338	5,032
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

What does a forensic specialist do?

Forensic Specialists analyze and evaluate physical evidence using different analysis methods like chemical, instrumental, microscopic, and physical. They are sometimes required to work with blood and other biological fluids, hair, gunshot residue, etc. Forensic Specialist duties depend on their area of expertise. Some specialists spend their days in a lab; others spend their visiting crime scenes searching for evidence. No matter what specialization they're in, their core responsibilities are to collect, document, preserve, test, and report evidence that is then submitted to those in charge of the case.

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.

Forensic specialist vs forensic investigator salary

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

	Forensic Specialist	Forensic Investigator
Average salary	$51,653	$52,267
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $79,000	Between $27,000 And $98,000
Highest paying City	Santa Monica, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	QED Group	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between forensic specialist and forensic investigator education

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

	Forensic Specialist	Forensic Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Stanford University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Forensic specialist vs forensic investigator demographics

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

	Forensic Specialist	Forensic Investigator
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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%

Differences between forensic specialist and forensic investigator duties and responsibilities

Forensic specialist example responsibilities.

Manage use and maintenance of company vehicle, surveying equip., cameras, and firearms.
Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
Secure and track any DNA evidence submit for testing.
Examine evidence for the presence of biological material and collect potential DNA samples.
Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
Assess for risk of suicide, homicide, psychosis and other safety concerns.

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 specialist vs forensic investigator skills

Common forensic specialist skills

Social Work, 10%
Encase, 8%
Criminal Justice, 8%
Mental Health, 6%
Digital Forensics, 5%
Forensic Interviews, 5%

Common forensic investigator skills

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

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Forensic Specialist
Forensic Specialist vs Forensic Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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