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The differences between investigators and licensed private investigators 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 a licensed private investigator. Additionally, an investigator has an average salary of $71,406, which is higher than the $47,204 average annual salary of a licensed private investigator.
The top three skills for an investigator include law enforcement agencies, management system and customer service. The most important skills for a licensed private investigator are background checks, child abuse, and insurance fraud.
| Investigator | Licensed Private Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $71,406 | $47,204 |
| Hourly rate | $34.33 | $22.69 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 5,085 | 16,954 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Investigators and licensed private investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investigator | Licensed Private Investigator | |
| Average salary | $71,406 | $47,204 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $119,000 | Between $30,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Apple | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an investigator and a licensed private investigator in terms of educational background:
| Investigator | Licensed Private Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between investigators' and licensed private investigators' demographics:
| Investigator | Licensed Private Investigator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4% | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% |
| 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, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 4.7% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |