Private investigator vs police officer

The differences between private investigators and police officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a police officer has an average salary of $52,638, 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 police officer are patrol, public safety, and law enforcement agencies.

Private investigator vs police officer overview

	Private Investigator	Police Officer
Yearly salary	$48,019	$52,638
Hourly rate	$23.09	$25.31
Growth rate	6%	3%
Number of jobs	6,675	116,287
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	44	40
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 police officer do?

Police officers are responsible for keeping peace and security in a community. They uphold and enforce the law. They ensure that people in their assigned community follow the law. They also ensure that proper sanctions are given out to anyone who does not follow. Some police officers are assigned in the field, meaning they work outside of police stations. Those assigned to police stations are responsible for maintaining administrative matters as well, aside from maintaining peace and order. Police officers are expected to be trustworthy, to work with honor, and to keep their integrity intact.

Private investigator vs police officer salary

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

	Private Investigator	Police Officer
Average salary	$48,019	$52,638
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $78,000	Between $38,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	-	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Icma-rc
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between private investigator and police officer education

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

	Private Investigator	Police Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Pennsylvania State University

Private investigator vs police officer demographics

Here are the differences between private investigators' and police officers' demographics:

	Private Investigator	Police Officer
Average age	44	40
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8%
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, 12.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	8%	7%

Differences between private investigator and police officer 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.

Police officer example responsibilities.

Apprehend violators and log evidence, complete require USAF and DoD forms, and accomplish report.
Train in CPR and first aid, radar speed enforcement, domestic violence intervention, pepper spray, and basic anti-terrorism.
Gather preliminary investigation information as a first responder to crime scenes.
Perform basic patrol functions including criminal and traffic law enforcement, incident reporting and community relations.
Complete numerous testimonies at criminal hearings and traffic violations, serve summons, subpoenas and other official documentation.
Patrol MARTA trains and bus lines.

Private investigator vs police officer skills

Common private investigator skills

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

Common police officer skills

Patrol, 27%
Public Safety, 6%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
Emergency Situations, 5%
Field Training, 4%
CPR, 3%

Private Investigator vs. similar jobs

Private Investigator related careers

Private Investigator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Protective Service Industry
Private Investigator
Private Investigator vs Police Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse protective service jobs