Investigator vs private investigator

The differences between investigators and 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 private investigator. Additionally, an investigator has an average salary of $71,406, which is higher than the $48,019 average annual salary of a private investigator.

The top three skills for an investigator include law enforcement agencies, management system and customer service. The most important skills for a private investigator are background checks, background investigations, and video surveillance.

Investigator vs private investigator overview

	Investigator	Private Investigator
Yearly salary	$71,406	$48,019
Hourly rate	$34.33	$23.09
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	5,085	6,675
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
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 a private investigator do?

Private investigators will require skills in surveillance, research, interviewing, critical thinking, and communication. Those who choose this career path will be called on to find information for organizations and individuals, as well as engage in different cases. An investigator's goal is to find legal, personal, or financial information through background checks, interviews, and surveillance.

Investigator vs private investigator salary

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

	Investigator	Private Investigator
Average salary	$71,406	$48,019
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $119,000	Between $29,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Apple	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between investigator and private investigator education

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

	Investigator	Private Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Investigator vs private investigator demographics

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

	Investigator	Private Investigator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4%	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%
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, 13.2% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between investigator and private 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.

Private investigator example responsibilities.

Manage all business reporting to include; payroll, taxes, client billing, account reconciliations and compliance reports.
Take ownership of the queue and promptly escalate any issues or obstacles to completing daily SAR filings
Conduct SIU, fraud, criminal, civil, and exploratory investigations as defined in client contracts.
Conduct different types of SIU investigations as well as civil, criminal, and asset background courthouse checks.
Serve subpoenas, coordinate witness court appearances, compile information from interviews, and developed/maintain community and informant contacts.
Create quality control documentation associate with manufacturing process, raw materials and quality testing procedures according to corporate and FDA guidelines.

Investigator vs private 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 private investigator skills

Background Checks, 15%
Background Investigations, 12%
Video Surveillance, 12%
Subpoenas, 5%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
Computer Database, 4%

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Investigator
Investigator vs Private Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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