Investigator vs prosecutor

The differences between investigators and prosecutors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an investigator, becoming a prosecutor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an investigator has an average salary of $71,406, which is higher than the $68,988 average annual salary of a prosecutor.

The top three skills for an investigator include law enforcement agencies, management system and customer service. The most important skills for a prosecutor are jury trials, legal research, and criminal cases.

Investigator vs prosecutor overview

	Investigator	Prosecutor
Yearly salary	$71,406	$68,988
Hourly rate	$34.33	$33.17
Growth rate	6%	10%
Number of jobs	5,085	749
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	44	46
Years of experience	6	4

Investigator vs prosecutor salary

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

	Investigator	Prosecutor
Average salary	$71,406	$68,988
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $119,000	Between $48,000 And $98,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Apple	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between investigator and prosecutor education

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

	Investigator	Prosecutor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Law
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Stanford University

Investigator vs prosecutor demographics

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

	Investigator	Prosecutor
Average age	44	46
Gender ratio	Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4%	Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0%
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, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	8%	10%

Differences between investigator and prosecutor 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.

Prosecutor example responsibilities.

Manage, train and mentore newly hire ADA's in courtroom management and trial advocacy.
Draft findings for defendants to stand trial, appeals and dismissals.
Type various legal documents, including complaints, journal entries, and subpoenas.
Draft subpoenas, warrants and legal documents relating to family court and civil court matters.
Conduct pre-trial investigations and negotiations; prepare and litigate motions and appeals; present hearings and trials.
Maintain contact with local law enforcement about ongoing investigations and litigation.

Investigator vs prosecutor 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 prosecutor skills

Jury Trials, 15%
Legal Research, 13%
Criminal Cases, 8%
Legal Advice, 8%
Motion Hearings, 7%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%