Private Detective/Investigator

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Work Tasks

• Help lawyers, businesses, the government, and people by getting facts and do background checks
• May try to find missing people, find out if someone is lying about a claim, or find out if someone is cheating on their husband or wife
• May investigate a business to find out if money has been stolen
• Watch the people they investigate, take pictures and videos, talk to people, and collect facts for court hearings
• Work for large retail stores, malls, detective agencies, hotels, legal services, corporations, or are self-employed
• Work with computers, video equipment, cameras, binoculars, cell phones, handguns, and databases which have information on court records, motor vehicle records, credit reports, and membership lists

Salary, Size & Growth

• $45,500 average per year ($22.00 per hour)
• A medium occupation (28,200 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.2% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: Relevant experience and no felonies
• Employers Prefer: A 4-year degree in criminal justice, accounting, or other specialty area and experience working in insurance fraud, collections, the military, government auditing or investigation, federal intelligence, or law enforcement
• Certification/Licensing: A license is usually required. Certification is available.