Private investigator vs detective

The differences between private investigators and detectives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detective has an average salary of $57,984, which is higher than the $48,019 average annual salary of a private investigator.

The top three skills for a private investigator include background checks, background investigations and video surveillance. The most important skills for a detective are physical evidence, patrol, and law enforcement agencies.

Private investigator vs detective overview

	Private Investigator	Detective
Yearly salary	$48,019	$57,984
Hourly rate	$23.09	$27.88
Growth rate	6%	3%
Number of jobs	6,675	56,521
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	-

What does a private investigator do?

Private investigators will require skills in surveillance, research, interviewing, critical thinking, and communication. Those who choose this career path will be called on to find information for organizations and individuals, as well as engage in different cases. An investigator's goal is to find legal, personal, or financial information through background checks, interviews, and surveillance.

What does a detective do?

A detective is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations for criminal activities, potential threats, and other law-violating incidents, coordinating closely with law-enforcement agencies and crime intelligence analysts. Detectives often work on the field, gathering data and related evidence to support claims and connect the timeline of events. They keep an organized record of their findings for further validation before reporting it to the authority. A detective must have excellent investigative and critical-thinking skills, especially on solving puzzles and security solutions.

Private investigator vs detective salary

Private investigators and detectives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Private Investigator	Detective
Average salary	$48,019	$57,984
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $78,000	Between $35,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between private investigator and detective education

There are a few differences between a private investigator and a detective in terms of educational background:

	Private Investigator	Detective
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of Arizona

Private investigator vs detective demographics

Here are the differences between private investigators' and detectives' demographics:

	Private Investigator	Detective
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	9%

Differences between private investigator and detective duties and responsibilities

Private investigator example responsibilities.

Manage all business reporting to include; payroll, taxes, client billing, account reconciliations and compliance reports.
Take ownership of the queue and promptly escalate any issues or obstacles to completing daily SAR filings
Conduct SIU, fraud, criminal, civil, and exploratory investigations as defined in client contracts.
Conduct different types of SIU investigations as well as civil, criminal, and asset background courthouse checks.
Serve subpoenas, coordinate witness court appearances, compile information from interviews, and developed/maintain community and informant contacts.
Create quality control documentation associate with manufacturing process, raw materials and quality testing procedures according to corporate and FDA guidelines.

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Detective example responsibilities.

Manage all ABC issues and applications for liquor licenses.
Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Monitor wire taps and conduct detailed surveillance of wire tap targets and associates.
Sole provider of data gathering from TIGTA's complaint management system and the IRS for biweekly phishing scam reports.
Connect GPS devices/recorder/audio/video by hard wiring to vehicle power for longer operations.
Optimize critical security of dignitaries by proficiently conducting foot and vehicle patrol of concentration areas.

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Private investigator vs detective skills

Common private investigator skills

Background Checks, 15%
Background Investigations, 12%
Video Surveillance, 12%
Subpoenas, 5%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
Computer Database, 4%

Common detective skills

Physical Evidence, 15%
Patrol, 13%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
Crime Scenes, 5%
Insurance Fraud, 5%
Public Safety, 5%

Private Investigator vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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