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Investigator vs police officer

The differences between investigators and police officers 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 $52,638 average annual salary of a police officer.

The top three skills for an investigator include law enforcement agencies, management system and customer service. The most important skills for a police officer are patrol, public safety, and law enforcement agencies.

Investigator vs police officer overview

InvestigatorPolice Officer
Yearly salary$71,406$52,638
Hourly rate$34.33$25.31
Growth rate6%3%
Number of jobs5,085116,287
Job satisfaction-2
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age4440
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 police officer do?

Police officers are responsible for keeping peace and security in a community. They uphold and enforce the law. They ensure that people in their assigned community follow the law. They also ensure that proper sanctions are given out to anyone who does not follow. Some police officers are assigned in the field, meaning they work outside of police stations. Those assigned to police stations are responsible for maintaining administrative matters as well, aside from maintaining peace and order. Police officers are expected to be trustworthy, to work with honor, and to keep their integrity intact.

Investigator vs police officer salary

Investigators and police officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

InvestigatorPolice Officer
Average salary$71,406$52,638
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $119,000Between $38,000 And $71,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAAnchorage, AK
Highest paying stateCaliforniaAlaska
Best paying companyAppleIcma-rc
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between investigator and police officer education

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

InvestigatorPolice Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - BakersfieldPennsylvania State University

Investigator vs police officer demographics

Here are the differences between investigators' and police officers' demographics:

InvestigatorPolice Officer
Average age4440
Gender ratioMale, 56.6% Female, 43.4%Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8%
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, 12.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage8%7%

Differences between investigator and police officer 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

Police officer example responsibilities.

  • Apprehend violators and log evidence, complete require USAF and DoD forms, and accomplish report.
  • Train in CPR and first aid, radar speed enforcement, domestic violence intervention, pepper spray, and basic anti-terrorism.
  • Gather preliminary investigation information as a first responder to crime scenes.
  • Perform basic patrol functions including criminal and traffic law enforcement, incident reporting and community relations.
  • Complete numerous testimonies at criminal hearings and traffic violations, serve summons, subpoenas and other official documentation.
  • Patrol MARTA trains and bus lines.
    • Show more

Investigator vs police officer 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 police officer skills
  • Patrol, 27%
  • Public Safety, 6%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
  • Emergency Situations, 5%
  • Field Training, 4%
  • CPR, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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