Skip tracer vs background investigator

The differences between skip tracers and background 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 skip tracer and a background investigator. Additionally, a background investigator has an average salary of $51,076, which is higher than the $36,545 average annual salary of a skip tracer.

The top three skills for a skip tracer include debt collection, outbound calls and skip trace. The most important skills for a background investigator are excellent time management, work ethic, and face-to-face interviews.

Skip tracer vs background investigator overview

	Skip Tracer	Background Investigator
Yearly salary	$36,545	$51,076
Hourly rate	$17.57	$24.56
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	1,464	4,428
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

Skip tracer vs background investigator salary

Skip tracers and background investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Skip Tracer	Background Investigator
Average salary	$36,545	$51,076
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $66,000	Between $28,000 And $90,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between skip tracer and background investigator education

There are a few differences between a skip tracer and a background investigator in terms of educational background:

	Skip Tracer	Background Investigator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	California State University - Bakersfield

Skip tracer vs background investigator demographics

Here are the differences between skip tracers' and background investigators' demographics:

	Skip Tracer	Background Investigator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7%	Male, 49.6% Female, 50.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 4.7% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 15.2% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 4.6% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between skip tracer and background investigator duties and responsibilities

Skip tracer example responsibilities.

Prevent impeding loss and increasing profitability through negotiation and enforcement of schedule collection campaigns, consistently achieving high success standards.
Prevent impeding loss and increasing profitability through negotiation and enforcement of schedule collection campaigns, consistently achieving high success standards.
Utilize various skip-tracing services such as Accurint and TheWorkNumber in order to locate consumers and verify employment for account recovery purposes.

Background investigator example responsibilities.

Participate in and lead the controlled purchase of illegal narcotics and firearms to apprehend suspects.
Conduct covert surveillance, deploy camera systems & GPS trackers, & report findings to be used in family court cases.
Provide EEO education and training.
Have top Secert ssbi clearance in JPAS
Comply with DOD site security protocols.
Conduct background investigations on behalf of CBP.

Skip tracer vs background investigator skills

Common skip tracer skills

Debt Collection, 25%
Outbound Calls, 11%
Skip Trace, 7%
Delinquent Accounts, 6%
Payment Arrangements, 5%
FDCPA, 5%

Common background investigator skills

Excellent Time Management, 18%
Work Ethic, 18%
Face-To-Face Interviews, 11%
National Security, 8%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
Financial Institutions, 7%

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Skip Tracer vs Background Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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