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The differences between observers and surveillance investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a surveillance investigator has an average salary of $45,807, which is higher than the $38,542 average annual salary of an observer.
The top three skills for an observer include patients, patient care and patient safety. The most important skills for a surveillance investigator are surveillance video, video evidence, and insurance claims.
| Observer | Surveillance Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $38,542 | $45,807 |
| Hourly rate | $18.53 | $22.02 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 435 | 4,912 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An observer is responsible for supporting patients' conditions under the health personnel's supervision, ensuring that the medical operations comply with the institution's policies and procedures. Observers must have excellent communication and organization skills, responding to the patients' inquiries and concerns, and performing administrative tasks as required by the management. They also identify possible improvements for clients' safety and security and create reports, manage expenses, and report any complaints to the senior management for immediate resolution.
A surveillance investigator specializes in gathering credible information related to the subject of an investigation. Typically working for private companies or independently, a surveillance investigator's responsibilities revolve around arranging surveillance systems such as cameras and microphones, conducting background checks, interviewing potential witnesses, and looking into illegal activities. It is also vital to gather evidence and upload them into a secured database. Furthermore, there are instances when a surveillance investigator must produce reports about the progress of cases, analyze pieces of evidence, and present findings.
Observers and surveillance investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Observer | Surveillance Investigator | |
| Average salary | $38,542 | $45,807 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $59,000 | Between $31,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fall River, MA | - |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | - |
| Best paying company | Citi | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an observer and a surveillance investigator in terms of educational background:
| Observer | Surveillance Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Biology | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between observers' and surveillance investigators' demographics:
| Observer | Surveillance Investigator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.4% Female, 44.6% | Male, 74.0% Female, 26.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 17.4% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 5.7% White, 51.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 24.6% Asian, 5.0% White, 51.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |