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The differences between missing persons investigators and special agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a missing persons investigator, becoming a special agent takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a special agent has an average salary of $60,916, which is higher than the $49,633 average annual salary of a missing persons investigator.
The top three skills for a missing persons investigator include law enforcement officials, and . The most important skills for a special agent are professional work, national security, and local law enforcement.
| Missing Persons Investigator | Special Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $49,633 | $60,916 |
| Hourly rate | $23.86 | $29.29 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 4,427 | 46,232 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Missing persons investigators and special agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Missing Persons Investigator | Special Agent | |
| Average salary | $49,633 | $60,916 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $87,000 | Between $43,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | BNSF Railway |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a missing persons investigator and a special agent in terms of educational background:
| Missing Persons Investigator | Special Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | - |
Here are the differences between missing persons investigators' and special agents' demographics:
| Missing Persons Investigator | Special Agent | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5% | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 4.6% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |