Senior investigator vs detention officer

The differences between senior investigators and detention officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior investigator has an average salary of $61,240, which is higher than the $40,087 average annual salary of a detention officer.

The top three skills for a senior investigator include senior level management, local law enforcement and claims handling. The most important skills for a detention officer are detention facility, direct supervision, and booking.

Senior investigator vs detention officer overview

	Senior Investigator	Detention Officer
Yearly salary	$61,240	$40,087
Hourly rate	$29.44	$19.27
Growth rate	3%	-10%
Number of jobs	4,525	116,529
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age	44	40
Years of experience	2	-

What does a senior investigator do?

As a senior investigator, you will be responsible for managing investigations for crimes, including corruption, organized crime, and fraud. You will work closely with the district attorney and law enforcement to investigate and solve these crimes. This role will require you to perform other additional duties, including collecting DNA samples from the crime scene, suspects and victims, organizing live training on risk, compliance, and ethics, and testifying in criminal and civil courts, civil service hearings, and ethics commission.

What does a detention officer do?

The role of detention officers is to supervise inmates in state detention facilities. They are responsible for ensuring the safe imprisonment of detainees, managing conflict between detainees, and reporting inappropriate behavior to the warden. Other responsibilities include providing inmates the opportunity to call a lawyer or a relative, performing periodic patrol of the jail area, and supervising inmates during meals and related activities. They are also responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of personal and cell equipment and distributing medicines to inmates as directed.

Senior investigator vs detention officer salary

Senior investigators and detention officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Investigator	Detention Officer
Average salary	$61,240	$40,087
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $105,000	Between $29,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Frederick, MD	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Maryland	Hawaii
Best paying company	DLA Piper	Bering Straits
Best paying industry	Finance	Insurance

Differences between senior investigator and detention officer education

There are a few differences between a senior investigator and a detention officer in terms of educational background:

	Senior Investigator	Detention Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Senior investigator vs detention officer demographics

Here are the differences between senior investigators' and detention officers' demographics:

	Senior Investigator	Detention Officer
Average age	44	40
Gender ratio	Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6%	Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.8% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 15.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between senior investigator and detention officer duties and responsibilities

Senior investigator example responsibilities.

Investigate allegations of suspect FWA / prioritize and manage case load / maintain comprehensive case files.
Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Create budget friendly evidence collection boxes for investigations and patrol officers.
Send specimens to laboratory to obtain DNA.
Participate on committees and teams supporting GMP compliance programs.
Collect possible DNA samples from the scene, victims, and suspects.

Detention officer example responsibilities.

Train and manage officers of booking, procedures and computer knowledge skills and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Manage booking area and process all non-English speaking detainees; streamline process and reduce confrontational situations through effective communication and leadership.
Maintain certification in CPR, gun qualification, and any specialize training offer.
Ensure that all require KYC documentation is on file before accounts are open.
Review and analyze KYC information on potential clients, brokerage counterparties, etc.
Perform CPR when necessary, and provide the transportation of inmates to the medical facility.

Senior investigator vs detention officer skills

Common senior investigator skills

Senior Level Management, 13%
Local Law Enforcement, 9%
Claims Handling, 8%
Court Proceedings, 8%
Data Analysis, 4%
Management System, 3%

Common detention officer skills

Detention Facility, 14%
Direct Supervision, 13%
Booking, 11%
Law Enforcement, 10%
CPR, 5%
Security Checks, 4%

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Senior Investigator
Senior Investigator vs Detention Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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