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The differences between investigative analysts and risk analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an investigative analyst and a risk analyst. Additionally, an investigative analyst has an average salary of $125,975, which is higher than the $81,484 average annual salary of a risk analyst.
The top three skills for an investigative analyst include criminal justice, external stakeholders and anti-money laundering. The most important skills for a risk analyst are risk management, risk assessments, and powerpoint.
| Investigative Analyst | Risk Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $125,975 | $81,484 |
| Hourly rate | $60.56 | $39.17 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 28,703 | 71,284 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An investigative analyst is responsible for handling and resolving suspicious activities that pose risks for an organization's reputation and stability. Investigative analysts review incident reports, such as fraud and other law violations, strategizing on effective ways to minimize losses and prevent misconduct reoccurrence. They collect evidence, including documents and interviews, to support their claims and record their findings. An investigative analyst must be highly communicative and organizational, as well as the ability to keep and secure confidential information until further notice.
As a risk analyst, you will oversee the identification, assessment, and monitoring of risks that your company has been exposed to. You will evaluate financial documents, potential clients, and economic conditions to determine the level of risk in business decisions. You will be responsible for aggregating data from several sources to develop a comprehensive assessment and create reports, processes, and presentations to better present results. You are also expected to work closely with other team members to analyze and show data effectively.
Investigative analysts and risk analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investigative Analyst | Risk Analyst | |
| Average salary | $125,975 | $81,484 |
| Salary range | Between $102,000 And $154,000 | Between $59,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Montana | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an investigative analyst and a risk analyst in terms of educational background:
| Investigative Analyst | Risk Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between investigative analysts' and risk analysts' demographics:
| Investigative Analyst | Risk Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.9% Female, 55.1% | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 14.1% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |