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The differences between narcotics agents and special investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a narcotics agent and a special investigator. Additionally, a narcotics agent has an average salary of $65,852, which is higher than the $50,623 average annual salary of a special investigator.
The top three skills for a narcotics agent include patrol, criminal investigations and crime scenes. The most important skills for a special investigator are law enforcement agencies, background checks, and child abuse.
| Narcotics Agent | Special Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $65,852 | $50,623 |
| Hourly rate | $31.66 | $24.34 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 25,101 | 14,799 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Narcotics agents and special investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Narcotics Agent | Special Investigator | |
| Average salary | $65,852 | $50,623 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $97,000 | Between $31,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Lompoc, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Maryland |
| Best paying company | - | City of Los Angeles |
| Best paying industry | - | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a narcotics agent and a special investigator in terms of educational background:
| Narcotics Agent | Special Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between narcotics agents' and special investigators' demographics:
| Narcotics Agent | Special Investigator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |