Private investigator vs undercover operator

The differences between private investigators and undercover operators 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 an undercover operator. Additionally, a private investigator has an average salary of $48,019, which is higher than the $39,586 average annual salary of an undercover operator.

Private investigator vs undercover operator overview

	Private Investigator	Undercover Operator
Yearly salary	$48,019	$39,586
Hourly rate	$23.09	$19.03
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	6,675	30,354
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

Private investigator vs undercover operator salary

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

	Private Investigator	Undercover Operator
Average salary	$48,019	$39,586
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $78,000	Between $26,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between private investigator and undercover operator education

There are a few differences between a private investigator and an undercover operator in terms of educational background:

	Private Investigator	Undercover Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of Pennsylvania

Private investigator vs undercover operator demographics

Here are the differences between private investigators' and undercover operators' demographics:

	Private Investigator	Undercover Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%
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, 12.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 4.3% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between private investigator and undercover operator 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.

Undercover operator example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Cooperate with NYPD and DEA in the investigation and apprehension of employees involve in illegal behavior
Monitor combat missions through satellite and computer global positioning systems in order to prepare accurate reports for unit commanders.
Operate fixed position and PTZ cameras from a desktop computer.

Private investigator vs undercover operator skills

Common private investigator skills

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

Common undercover operator skills

Private Investigator vs. similar jobs

Private Investigator related careers

Private Investigator related jobs

What similar roles do

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Private Investigator
Private Investigator vs Undercover Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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