Investigative reporter vs detective investigator

The differences between investigative reporters and detective investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an investigative reporter, becoming a detective investigator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an investigative reporter has an average salary of $65,230, which is higher than the $53,616 average annual salary of a detective investigator.

The top three skills for an investigative reporter include investigative journalism, investigative stories and facebook. The most important skills for a detective investigator are physical evidence, patrol, and law enforcement agencies.

Investigative reporter vs detective investigator overview

	Investigative Reporter	Detective Investigator
Yearly salary	$65,230	$53,616
Hourly rate	$31.36	$25.78
Growth rate	-10%	6%
Number of jobs	10,813	20,213
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	2	6

Investigative reporter vs detective investigator salary

Investigative reporters and detective investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Investigative Reporter	Detective Investigator
Average salary	$65,230	$53,616
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $104,000	Between $37,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	HSBC Bank	-
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between investigative reporter and detective investigator education

There are a few differences between an investigative reporter and a detective investigator in terms of educational background:

	Investigative Reporter	Detective Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Journalism	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Investigative reporter vs detective investigator demographics

Here are the differences between investigative reporters' and detective investigators' demographics:

	Investigative Reporter	Detective Investigator
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0%	Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.6% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 4.6% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	8%

Differences between investigative reporter and detective investigator duties and responsibilities

Investigative reporter example responsibilities.

Report to managing editor as member of editorial staff, contribute to newspaper editorials.
Produce and edit clips for the newspaper website.
Perform employment, educational, mvr, and professional reference/license checks.
Edit video tape to create packages, perform on camera and in voiceovers.
Produce videos for DeSmogBlog including longer investigative pieces and short Facebook pieces design to be share.
Create headlines for print as well as headlines for the web that are search engine optimize (SEO).

Detective investigator example responsibilities.

Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Prepare in-depth detail reports including arrest warrants, search warrants, subpoenas and court orders for criminal prosecution.
Prepare subpoenas and search warrants for account information from various companies and entities for follow-up investigations.
Analyze high risk transaction activity and provide final approval of investigative case analyses utilize for SAR preparation and filing.
Establish a review procedure with IRS and assign an analyst.

Investigative reporter vs detective investigator skills

Common investigative reporter skills

Investigative Journalism, 23%
Investigative Stories, 14%
Facebook, 10%
Story Development, 7%
News Coverage, 6%
Public Service, 6%

Common detective investigator skills

Physical Evidence, 14%
Patrol, 12%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%
Insurance Fraud, 5%
Homicide, 5%
Electronic Surveillance, 4%

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Investigative Reporter
Investigative Reporter vs Detective Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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