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Investigator vs criminal investigator

The differences between investigators and criminal investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an investigator has an average salary of $71,406, which is higher than the $54,520 average annual salary of a criminal investigator.

The top three skills for an investigator include law enforcement agencies, management system and customer service. The most important skills for a criminal investigator are investigative reports, resourcefulness, and firearms.

Investigator vs criminal investigator overview

InvestigatorCriminal Investigator
Yearly salary$71,406$54,520
Hourly rate$34.33$26.21
Growth rate6%3%
Number of jobs5,0855,131
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4444
Years of experience6-

What does an investigator do?

Criminal investigators play an essential role in criminal justice and law enforcement. Their job entails solving open cases that may take them weeks or even months to accomplish. Collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and arresting suspects are among their many tasks. They work at every level of criminal justice and law enforcement. For criminal investigators to succeed in their profession, they should have sound judgment, strong communication skills, ethical standards, physical fitness, and empathy. They also benefit from strong job prospects, in addition to an exciting and rewarding job.

What does a criminal investigator do?

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.

Investigator vs criminal investigator salary

Investigators and criminal investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

InvestigatorCriminal Investigator
Average salary$71,406$54,520
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $119,000Between $34,000 And $85,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyAppleNational Railroad Passenger Corporation
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between investigator and criminal investigator education

There are a few differences between an investigator and a criminal investigator in terms of educational background:

InvestigatorCriminal Investigator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Bakersfield-

Investigator vs criminal investigator demographics

Here are the differences between investigators' and criminal investigators' demographics:

InvestigatorCriminal Investigator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 56.6% Female, 43.4%Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.5% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 4.7% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%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 Percentage8%9%

Differences between investigator and criminal investigator duties and responsibilities

Investigator example responsibilities.

  • Participate in and lead the controlled purchase of illegal narcotics and firearms to apprehend suspects.
  • Manage all business reporting to include; payroll, taxes, client billing, account reconciliations and compliance reports.
  • Manage corporate-wide document production relative to complex litigation cases.
  • Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
  • Collaborate with federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF and IRS.
  • Write a detail case report, and attach all supporting documentation necessary to write up SAR's where necessary per BSA.
    • Show more

Criminal investigator example responsibilities.

  • Conduct joint planning and manage AFOSI's criminal investigations and counterintelligence operations in northern Italy.
  • Close accounts and file SAR's with FinCEN as warranted.
  • Write suspicious activity reports (SAR).
  • Follow up on sub reviews and documentation require information for FinCEN reporting.
  • Coordinate and conduct firearms training.
  • Examine discovery, prepare subpoenas, and review pertinent documents.
    • Show more

Investigator vs criminal investigator skills

Common investigator skills
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%
  • Management System, 6%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Criminal Justice, 5%
  • Senior Level Management, 4%
  • Child Abuse, 4%
Common criminal investigator skills
  • Investigative Reports, 13%
  • Resourcefulness, 11%
  • Firearms, 11%
  • Treasury, 9%
  • Investigative Techniques, 8%
  • IRS, 6%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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