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The differences between welfare investigators and protective service specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a welfare investigator and a protective service specialist. Additionally, a welfare investigator has an average salary of $55,239, which is higher than the $50,293 average annual salary of a protective service specialist.
The top three skills for a welfare investigator include law enforcement, child protective and court system. The most important skills for a protective service specialist are social work, child safety, and foster care.
| Welfare Investigator | Protective Service Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $55,239 | $50,293 |
| Hourly rate | $26.56 | $24.18 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 4,828 | 81,211 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Welfare investigators and protective service specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Welfare Investigator | Protective Service Specialist | |
| Average salary | $55,239 | $50,293 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $67,000 | Between $32,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a welfare investigator and a protective service specialist in terms of educational background:
| Welfare Investigator | Protective Service Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Social Work |
| Most common college | Hunter College of the City University of New York | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between welfare investigators' and protective service specialists' demographics:
| Welfare Investigator | Protective Service Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2% | Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |