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The differences between special agents and detectives 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 $57,984 average annual salary of a detective.
The top three skills for a special agent include professional work, national security and local law enforcement. The most important skills for a detective are physical evidence, patrol, and law enforcement agencies.
| Special Agent | Detective | |
| Yearly salary | $60,916 | $57,984 |
| Hourly rate | $29.29 | $27.88 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 46,232 | 56,521 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| 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.
A detective is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations for criminal activities, potential threats, and other law-violating incidents, coordinating closely with law-enforcement agencies and crime intelligence analysts. Detectives often work on the field, gathering data and related evidence to support claims and connect the timeline of events. They keep an organized record of their findings for further validation before reporting it to the authority. A detective must have excellent investigative and critical-thinking skills, especially on solving puzzles and security solutions.
Special agents and detectives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Agent | Detective | |
| Average salary | $60,916 | $57,984 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $85,000 | Between $35,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | - |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | - |
| Best paying company | BNSF Railway | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a special agent and a detective in terms of educational background:
| Special Agent | Detective | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | University of Arizona |
Here are the differences between special agents' and detectives' demographics:
| Special Agent | Detective | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3% |
| 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, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |