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The differences between senior investigators and law enforcement 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 $39,219 average annual salary of a law enforcement 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 law enforcement officer are patrol, public safety, and emergency situations.
| Senior Investigator | Law Enforcement Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $61,240 | $39,219 |
| Hourly rate | $29.44 | $18.86 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 4,525 | 105,817 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
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.
The duties of a law enforcement officer depend on their line of work or agency of employment. In general, they are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations, prioritizing the safety of citizens and the protection of the city. Typically, their responsibilities include patrolling their designated area, responding to distress, monitoring suspicious activities and characters, conducting investigations and inspections, and coordinating various services to assist citizens. Moreover, as a law enforcement officer, it is essential to serve as a role model for citizens and uphold the oath to serve and protect.
Senior investigators and law enforcement officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Investigator | Law Enforcement Officer | |
| Average salary | $61,240 | $39,219 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $105,000 | Between $30,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | Frederick, MD | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Washington |
| Best paying company | DLA Piper | University of Nebraska System |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a senior investigator and a law enforcement officer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Investigator | Law Enforcement Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between senior investigators' and law enforcement officers' demographics:
| Senior Investigator | Law Enforcement Officer | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6% | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% |
| 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, 13.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.1% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |