Private investigator vs licensed private investigator

The differences between private investigators and licensed private investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a private investigator and a licensed private investigator. Additionally, a private investigator has an average salary of $48,019, which is higher than the $47,204 average annual salary of a licensed private investigator.

The top three skills for a private investigator include background checks, background investigations and video surveillance. The most important skills for a licensed private investigator are background checks, child abuse, and insurance fraud.

Private investigator vs licensed private investigator overview

	Private Investigator	Licensed Private Investigator
Yearly salary	$48,019	$47,204
Hourly rate	$23.09	$22.69
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	6,675	16,954
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

Private investigator vs licensed private investigator salary

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

	Private Investigator	Licensed Private Investigator
Average salary	$48,019	$47,204
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $78,000	Between $30,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between private investigator and licensed private investigator education

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

	Private Investigator	Licensed Private Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	California State University - Bakersfield

Private investigator vs licensed private investigator demographics

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

	Private Investigator	Licensed Private Investigator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%
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, 13.6% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 4.7% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between private investigator and licensed private investigator 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.

Licensed private investigator example responsibilities.

Manage and dispose of claims in litigation by preparing and developing strategy with defense counsel and consensus relative to litigation handling.
Deliver subpoenas, interview witnesses and clients, write reports, some surveillance experience.
Serve subpoenas and legal documents, supervise special events to include short and long term security operations.
Create quality control documentation associate with manufacturing process, raw materials and quality testing procedures according to corporate and FDA guidelines.
Identify and accurately report extremely time sensitive and confidential data in accordance with HIPPA guidelines.

Private investigator vs licensed private investigator skills

Common private investigator skills

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

Common licensed private investigator skills

Background Checks, 11%
Child Abuse, 10%
Insurance Fraud, 9%
Background Investigations, 8%
Minimum Standards, 8%
Administrative Hearings, 6%

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Private Investigator
Private Investigator vs Licensed Private Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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