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Investigator vs detective

The differences between investigators and detectives 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 $57,984 average annual salary of a detective.

The top three skills for an investigator include law enforcement agencies, management system and customer service. The most important skills for a detective are physical evidence, patrol, and law enforcement agencies.

Investigator vs detective overview

InvestigatorDetective
Yearly salary$71,406$57,984
Hourly rate$34.33$27.88
Growth rate6%3%
Number of jobs5,08556,521
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
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 detective do?

A detective is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations for criminal activities, potential threats, and other law-violating incidents, coordinating closely with law-enforcement agencies and crime intelligence analysts. Detectives often work on the field, gathering data and related evidence to support claims and connect the timeline of events. They keep an organized record of their findings for further validation before reporting it to the authority. A detective must have excellent investigative and critical-thinking skills, especially on solving puzzles and security solutions.

Investigator vs detective salary

Investigators and detectives have different pay scales, as shown below.

InvestigatorDetective
Average salary$71,406$57,984
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $119,000Between $35,000 And $95,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companyApple-
Best paying industry--

Differences between investigator and detective education

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

InvestigatorDetective
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - BakersfieldUniversity of Arizona

Investigator vs detective demographics

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

InvestigatorDetective
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 56.6% Female, 43.4%Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3%
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, 16.7% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage8%9%

Differences between investigator and detective 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.
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Detective example responsibilities.

  • Manage all ABC issues and applications for liquor licenses.
  • Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
  • Monitor wire taps and conduct detailed surveillance of wire tap targets and associates.
  • Sole provider of data gathering from TIGTA's complaint management system and the IRS for biweekly phishing scam reports.
  • Connect GPS devices/recorder/audio/video by hard wiring to vehicle power for longer operations.
  • Optimize critical security of dignitaries by proficiently conducting foot and vehicle patrol of concentration areas.
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Investigator vs detective 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 detective skills
  • Physical Evidence, 15%
  • Patrol, 13%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
  • Crime Scenes, 5%
  • Insurance Fraud, 5%
  • Public Safety, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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