Investigator vs investigative specialist

The differences between investigators and investigative 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 investigator and an investigative specialist. Additionally, an investigator has an average salary of $71,406, which is higher than the $50,153 average annual salary of an investigative specialist.

The top three skills for an investigator include law enforcement agencies, management system and customer service. The most important skills for an investigative specialist are patients, investigative reports, and law enforcement agencies.

Investigator vs investigative specialist overview

	Investigator	Investigative Specialist
Yearly salary	$71,406	$50,153
Hourly rate	$34.33	$24.11
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	5,085	39,030
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

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 an investigative specialist do?

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.

Investigator vs investigative specialist salary

Investigators and investigative specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Investigator	Investigative Specialist
Average salary	$71,406	$50,153
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $119,000	Between $31,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	California	Delaware
Best paying company	Apple	BP America Inc
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between investigator and investigative specialist education

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

	Investigator	Investigative Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	California State University - Bakersfield

Investigator vs investigative specialist demographics

Here are the differences between investigators' and investigative specialists' demographics:

	Investigator	Investigative Specialist
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4%	Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5%
Race ratio	Black 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, 13.6% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 5.0% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between investigator and investigative specialist 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.

Investigative specialist example responsibilities.

Manage an on-site IRB and company good clinical practice (GCP) inspection.
Experience working directly for commanding officers and making security recommendations to ensure the security of overall DOD operations in the area.
Document and enter into the database, EOB's, patient demographics, NPI and prior authorizations requirements.
Document into system and on require forms, EOB's, patient demographics, NPI and prior authorizations requirements.
Verify that Humana insurance customers understand their plan.
Contact recently enroll Humana members and thoroughly explain all information to ensure understanding of their plan.

Investigator vs investigative specialist 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 investigative specialist skills

Patients, 8%
Investigative Reports, 7%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 6%
FDA, 5%
Criminal Justice, 5%
Safety Rules, 5%

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Protective Service Industry
Investigator
Investigator vs Investigative Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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