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The differences between patrol officers and criminal investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a criminal investigator has an average salary of $54,520, which is higher than the $35,621 average annual salary of a patrol officer.
The top three skills for a patrol officer include patrol, customer service and public safety. The most important skills for a criminal investigator are investigative reports, resourcefulness, and firearms.
| Patrol Officer | Criminal Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $35,621 | $54,520 |
| Hourly rate | $17.13 | $26.21 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 123,265 | 5,131 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The job of patrol officers is to enforce ordinances, laws, prevent crime, control crowds, arrest violators, and regulate traffic. They also perform other duties that may include monitoring an assigned area for unauthorized or suspicious activity, responding to reports of emergencies and possible crime such as robberies, and building good relationships with community members. To be a successful patrol officer, you should have solid judgment, excellent communication skills, and decision-making skills in stressful situations.
A criminal investigator is a law enforcement professional who endeavors to solve felony crimes. Criminal investigators may work alone or as a member of an investigative team whose goal is to uncover the certainty of a case and potentially keep suspects to prevent the ensuing criminal activity. Their tasks and responsibilities depend on various job functions and specialties. They may specialize in the information and evidence of a crime scene, conduct interviews and searches, or perform surveillance.
Patrol officers and criminal investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patrol Officer | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average salary | $35,621 | $54,520 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $46,000 | Between $34,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | California |
| Best paying company | Mount St. Mary's University | National Railroad Passenger Corporation |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a patrol officer and a criminal investigator in terms of educational background:
| Patrol Officer | Criminal Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | - |
Here are the differences between patrol officers' and criminal investigators' demographics:
| Patrol Officer | Criminal Investigator | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 3.5% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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 | 7% | 9% |