Investigator vs. Detective: What’s the Difference?

Magnifying glass over keyboard for investigator header

A common question that the general public has for law enforcement is, “What’s the difference between an investigator and a detective?” While the terms are often used interchangeably in pop culture, the roles are not identical.

Investigators and detectives do share commonalities, since they both solve crimes in similar ways, including:

• collecting evidence

• interviewing witnesses

• observing suspects

So it is true there are similarities, but they are distinctly different professions.

Here are four key differences between investigators and detectives:

1. Types of cases

Investigators are hired by a client. They tend to investigate financial issues, matrimonial cases, civil suits, or background checks. Investigators can also specialize in corporate or financial investigations. Detectives, on the other hand, are employed by a police department or law enforcement agency. They serve a community by investigating criminal activity in order to figure out why it happened and who did it so that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.Since the investigator works directly for the client, the client has more control over the direction of things, and the investigation is more geared toward results. 

2. Training

Detectives must be in law enforcement on active patrol duty for at least 3 years before . To become a police officer, typically departments require a high school diploma and training at a police academy. Degrees in criminal justice are encouraged. Investigators can have backgrounds in law enforcement or security, and can have a degree in criminal justice as well. They could also have degrees in forensics, psychology, or sociology. With a private investigator, you get the best of both worlds because investigators tend to have backgrounds in law enforcement. The investigators at John Cutter Investigations have extensive backgrounds in both private investigation and law enforcement.

3. Licensing 

In most states, private investigators must be licensed to practice. At this time, only 5 states in the US don’t require investigators to be licensed at the state level: Alaska, Idaho, Mississippi, South Dakota and Wyoming. Generally, PIs are required to be at least 21, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and must be a US citizen. Licensing varies from state to state and can require a clean criminal background or include experience requirements, similar to the experience requirements of a detective. Because they have already been trained, vetted, and hired by law enforcement officials, detectives don’t need to be licensed. 

4. Career Path 

While investigators have similar backgrounds to members of law enforcement, their career trajectory is very different. Detective is a career advancement opportunity that tends to only be offered internally to current law enforcement officials within a department. Investigators tend to be freelancers who work for themselves. So they are paid on a case by case basis, as opposed to detectives who receive a regular salaried check every week. While being a detective is more steady pay, it’s possible to make much higher than the detective median salary as an investigator, depending on the clients. As an investigator there is the freedom to pick your clients and shape your career in a way that isn’t possible as a detective.

Conclusion

Investigators and detectives have a similar way of going about their jobs, but they serve very different purposes in the community. If you have been a victim of a crime, you should absolutely contact a police detective as opposed to a private investigator. But if you are in need of surveillance, background checks, employment screenings, litigation support or any other type of general investigation, an experienced private investigator like those at John Cutter Investigations is exactly what you need. Still unsure if you need a private investigator? Check out our FAQs and contact us today.