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The differences between investigators assistants and detectives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detective has an average salary of $57,984, which is higher than the $44,686 average annual salary of an investigators assistant.
The top three skills for an investigators assistant include background checks, physical evidence and law enforcement agencies. The most important skills for a detective are physical evidence, patrol, and law enforcement agencies.
| Investigators Assistant | Detective | |
| Yearly salary | $44,686 | $57,984 |
| Hourly rate | $21.48 | $27.88 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 16,836 | 56,521 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
As the name entails, the job of an investigator's assistant is to perform office duties and field jobs to support investigations into criminal justice and criminal cases. Typical duties will include processing legal documents and reports such as subpoenas and complaints, collecting fingerprints, police reports, and background checks, and interviewing victims and witnesses. Additionally, as an investigator's assistant, you are responsible for reviewing criminal background checks and conducting research on new social trends. You will also be responsible for preparing payroll and delegating and coordinating multiple projects under a tight deadline.
A detective is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations for criminal activities, potential threats, and other law-violating incidents, coordinating closely with law-enforcement agencies and crime intelligence analysts. Detectives often work on the field, gathering data and related evidence to support claims and connect the timeline of events. They keep an organized record of their findings for further validation before reporting it to the authority. A detective must have excellent investigative and critical-thinking skills, especially on solving puzzles and security solutions.
Investigators assistants and detectives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Investigators Assistant | Detective | |
| Average salary | $44,686 | $57,984 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $85,000 | Between $35,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | - |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | - |
| Best paying company | Massachusetts General Hospital | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an investigators assistant and a detective in terms of educational background:
| Investigators Assistant | Detective | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | University of Arizona |
Here are the differences between investigators assistants' and detectives' demographics:
| Investigators Assistant | Detective | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.8% Female, 64.2% | Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |