Principle investigator vs chief investigator

The differences between principle investigators and chief investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a principle investigator, becoming a chief investigator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a principle investigator has an average salary of $78,325, which is higher than the $70,291 average annual salary of a chief investigator.

The top three skills for a principle investigator include GPS, data collection and PI. The most important skills for a chief investigator are law enforcement agencies, criminal justice, and criminal investigations.

Principle investigator vs chief investigator overview

	Principle Investigator	Chief Investigator
Yearly salary	$78,325	$70,291
Hourly rate	$37.66	$33.79
Growth rate	17%	3%
Number of jobs	5,554	17,188
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	41	44
Years of experience	4	2

Principle investigator vs chief investigator salary

Principle investigators and chief investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Principle Investigator	Chief Investigator
Average salary	$78,325	$70,291
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $133,000	Between $40,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between principle investigator and chief investigator education

There are a few differences between a principle investigator and a chief investigator in terms of educational background:

	Principle Investigator	Chief Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Psychology	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Duke University	Pennsylvania State University

Principle investigator vs chief investigator demographics

Here are the differences between principle investigators' and chief investigators' demographics:

	Principle Investigator	Chief Investigator
Average age	41	44
Gender ratio	Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1%	Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 2.9% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	9%

Differences between principle investigator and chief investigator duties and responsibilities

Principle investigator example responsibilities.

Manage outsource projects, and interact with vendors for API sourcing, and device components base on project needs.
Promote to perform sequence analysis and identify target primer sites for the development of PCR assays for bacterial species.
Synthesize and analyze experimental data using IBM SPSS.
Investigate the toxicology and efficacy of bioresorbable, polymer-base medical devices and extend release drug delivery system.
Supervise activities of analytical cellular and molecular immunology laboratories.
Supervise activities of analytical cellular and molecular immunology laboratories.

Chief investigator example responsibilities.

Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Investigate and open cases on customers and non-customers who have potentially engage in activity which goes against federally mandate BSA/AML regulations.
Evaluate impressions for AFIS (automate fingerprint identification system) potential.

Principle investigator vs chief investigator skills

Common principle investigator skills

GPS, 9%
Data Collection, 8%
PI, 8%
Literature Reviews, 8%
Data Analysis, 6%
Research Projects, 5%

Common chief investigator skills

Law Enforcement Agencies, 13%
Criminal Justice, 9%
Criminal Investigations, 9%
Investigative Reports, 9%
Physical Evidence, 8%
Public Safety, 6%

Principle Investigator vs. similar jobs

Principle Investigator related careers

Principle Investigator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Principle Investigator
Principle Investigator vs Chief Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs