Private Investigators
Overview
Introduction
Private investigators provide investigative services for clients who may be individuals or businesses. They help solve crimes and provide information for law cases by searching for information on legal, financial, and personal matters. Depending on their specialty, they offer services such as verifying people's backgrounds and their statements, locating missing persons, and investigating computer crimes. They may go undercover to conduct surveillance and gather information. Types of private investigators include computer forensics i...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
The median annual wage for private investigators and detectives was $50,510 in May 2019, according to the Department of Labor. Salaries ranged from $30,390 to $89,760 or more. The average salary for those who worked in the investigation and security services industry was $56,070. Local government pays slightly higher wages; in 2019, private investigators working in this area earned an average o...
Work Environment
Private investigators work in a variety of settings depending on their specialty and on the case they are investigating. In general, they spend part of the time in offices, using computers and phones to conduct their research. They also spend time in the field, interviewing people in person and conducting surveillance to gather information on their activities and behaviors. Private investigator...
Outlook
Private investigators and detectives will experience faster-than-average employment growth of about 8 percent through 2028, according to the Department of Labor. Cybercrime is one area of growth in the field and private investigators will be needed to help solve cases of identity theft, credit card fraud, Internet scams, and financial and insurance fraud. The legal services industry will need p...
