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The differences between investigative specialists and verification specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an investigative specialist and a verification specialist. Additionally, an investigative specialist has an average salary of $50,153, which is higher than the $31,564 average annual salary of a verification specialist.
The top three skills for an investigative specialist include patients, investigative reports and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a verification specialist are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Investigative Specialist | Verification Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,153 | $31,564 |
| Hourly rate | $24.11 | $15.18 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 39,030 | 26,348 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The duties of an investigative specialist depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In a business environment, their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating with different departments to gather extensive data, analyzing documentation, identifying any discrepancies and irregularities, and performing corrective measures while trying to find the reason for errors. Furthermore, as an investigative specialist, it is essential to address any issues or concerns, thoroughly investigating any reported suspicious activities, dealing with them promptly and efficiently in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
The verification specialist's primary role is to make and take calls to employers for the purpose of verifying information stated by an applicant on his/her /her job application. They manage calls inbound/outbound for education, employment, reference, and licensing verification purposes. They also maintain and keep records of all calls handled to ensure all verifications made are followed upon on time. They communicate effectively and proficiently to all parties involved in attaining verification information. Moreover, they do monthly review to quality check all data gathered for verifications.
Investigative specialists and verification specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investigative Specialist | Verification Specialist | |
| Average salary | $50,153 | $31,564 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $79,000 | Between $24,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Jacobs Engineering Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Insurance |
There are a few differences between an investigative specialist and a verification specialist in terms of educational background:
| Investigative Specialist | Verification Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between investigative specialists' and verification specialists' demographics:
| Investigative Specialist | Verification Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5% | Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.6% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 5.0% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 7.3% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |