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The differences between fraud prevention specialists and criminal investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a criminal investigator has an average salary of $54,520, which is higher than the $37,798 average annual salary of a fraud prevention specialist.
The top three skills for a fraud prevention specialist include fraud prevention, outbound calls and customer service. The most important skills for a criminal investigator are investigative reports, resourcefulness, and firearms.
| Fraud Prevention Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $37,798 | $54,520 |
| Hourly rate | $18.17 | $26.21 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 33,725 | 5,131 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A fraud prevention specialist is in charge of reviewing and monitoring business transactions to ensure accuracy and thwart off fraudulent activities. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their place or industry of employment, it typically includes gathering and analyzing data, performing research and analyses, conducting audits and assessments, and utilizing various tools and programs. Moreover, a fraud prevention specialist must develop guidelines and conduct investigations on incidents to prevent them from happening again, all while enforcing the company's security policies and regulations.
A criminal investigator is a law enforcement professional who endeavors to solve felony crimes. Criminal investigators may work alone or as a member of an investigative team whose goal is to uncover the certainty of a case and potentially keep suspects to prevent the ensuing criminal activity. Their tasks and responsibilities depend on various job functions and specialties. They may specialize in the information and evidence of a crime scene, conduct interviews and searches, or perform surveillance.
Fraud prevention specialists and criminal investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fraud Prevention Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average salary | $37,798 | $54,520 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $61,000 | Between $34,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cerritos, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | National Railroad Passenger Corporation |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a fraud prevention specialist and a criminal investigator in terms of educational background:
| Fraud Prevention Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | - |
Here are the differences between fraud prevention specialists' and criminal investigators' demographics:
| Fraud Prevention Specialist | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 1.2% White, 71.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 9% |