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The differences between special agents and agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special agent has an average salary of $60,916, which is higher than the $37,864 average annual salary of an agent.
The top three skills for a special agent include professional work, national security and local law enforcement. The most important skills for an agent are insurance products, customer service, and life insurance.
| Special Agent | Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $60,916 | $37,864 |
| Hourly rate | $29.29 | $18.20 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 46,232 | 184,325 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A special agent is responsible for investigating law violations and criminal activities by collecting pieces of evidence, including witnesses' testimonies, to release a warrant of arrest and initiate prosecution. Special agents work closely with other law enforcement agencies to identify threats, analyze occurring criminal activities, and connect intelligence records through observation and field investigations. They also attend court proceedings to present evidence for court decisions. A special agent must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, assessing unusual situations, and handling suspicious activities.
Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors. They meet people who are interested in dealing with their clients. They listen to the plans and vision for the project and assess if the project fits their clients' interests or public image. In the case of agents whose clients are actors, they send their clients to auditions upon review of the project details. Agents are also responsible for negotiating terms on behalf of their clients, such as salary, royalties, and set benefits, among others. They also inform the project leaders of their clients' demands on set. Agents are expected to be business-savvy and good negotiators.
Special agents and agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Agent | Agent | |
| Average salary | $60,916 | $37,864 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $85,000 | Between $19,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New York |
| Best paying company | BNSF Railway | Latham & Watkins |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a special agent and an agent in terms of educational background:
| Special Agent | Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Business |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between special agents' and agents' demographics:
| Special Agent | Agent | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |