Home page

Private Detectives and Investigators


At a Glance

  • Observe suspects, verify facts, conduct searches, and other tasks
  • Often specialize in one area
  • Regularly interact with people
  • Often work irregular hours
  • Usually train on the job and have work experience
  • Usually need a license

Career summary

Private detectives and investigators gather facts and information about legal, financial, and personal matters.

Private detectives and investigators may also be called assets protection specialists or loss prevention detectives, specialists, or associates.

Private detectives and investigators conduct research for a variety of reasons including:

Detectives and investigators use a variety of tools to gather information such as phone calls, computers, cameras, and surveillance. Sometimes an investigator may go undercover in order to gather information.

Detectives and investigators may specialize in one of the following areas:

Most detectives write reports and case summaries to inform clients or supervisors. Many present evidence at hearings and court trials.

Related careers

This career is part of the Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

Military careers

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to private detectives and investigators.

Common work activities

Private detectives and investigators perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, private detectives and investigators:

Interpersonal relationships

Physical work conditions

Work performance

Hours/travel

Physical demands

Private detectives and investigators frequently:

It is important for private detectives and investigators to be able to:

It is not as important, but still necessary, for private detectives and investigators to be able to:

Skills and abilities

Private detectives and investigators need to:

Communicate

Reason and problem solve

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

Work with people

Perceive and visualize

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

Other programs of study to consider

Training

To work as a private detective or investigator, you typically need to:

Education after high school

Many private detectives and investigators have a bachelor's degree. Several majors are good preparation for this occupation. These include law, finance, accounting, insurance, law enforcement, criminal justice, and business.

Work experience

Almost all private detectives and investigators have work experience in other occupations. Many worked as police detectives, accountants, auditors, or military intelligence officers. Other common occupations are investigative journalist, insurance investigator, and lawyer.

On-the-job training

Most private detectives and investigators learn on the job. Learning by doing, in which new investigators are put on cases and gain skills as they go, is a common approach. Training may last up to one year.

Military training

Some branches of the military train people to be law enforcement and security specialists. Training lasts from five to 12 weeks, depending on your specialty. Additional training occurs on the job.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum (external link) may be different from your state's graduation requirements (external link).

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups (PDF file) that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Most employers look for individuals who are clever and resourceful. They must be able to think of different ways to find information. They also look for people who are persistent and assertive. Candidates must not be afraid of confrontation. Good communication and interviewing skills are also important. Because many cases eventually go to court, investigators must be able to present the facts in a manner a jury will believe.

Some employers look for applicants who are at least 21 and have a high school diploma and training from a state approved investigation course. They look for good moral character and no criminal record. Employers may also provide at least two months of on-the-job training. Some employers require workers to have their own transportation.

For store detectives, high school graduation and two years of experience in some security field, such as security guard, are required. Many store detectives must pass a background investigation and have a current driver's license. Employers look for workers who have strong work ethics and work well with customers.

Tips

Being loyal to the company you work for is important. The ability to write clear concise reports is also a valuable asset. Courses in psychology and sociology are recommended.

Licensing/certification

Private investigators must be licensed by the Washington State Department of Licensing as unarmed or armed private investigators. To be licensed as unarmed investigators, applicants must:

To be licensed as an armed private investigator, applicants must:

For more information on licensing requirements for private investigators, contact:

Washington State Department of Licensing
Private Investigator Licensing Program (external link)

PO Box 9649
Olympia, WA 98507-9034
360.664.6611

#2/10/20

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website (external link).

Wages

Private detectives and investigators (SOC 33-9021)

Location
Pay Period
10%
25%
Median
75%
90%
Washington Hourly $19.34 $20.94 $23.52 $41.08 $47.37
Monthly $3,352 $3,629 $4,076 $7,119 $8,209
Yearly $40,230 $43,560 $48,920 $85,440 $98,540
    Mount Vernon-Anacortes Hourly $12.25 $13.74 $17.34 $20.60 $25.13
Monthly $2,123 $2,381 $3,005 $3,570 $4,355
Yearly $25,492 $28,584 $36,072 $42,856 $52,276
    Olympia-Tumwater Hourly $25.32 $26.32 $27.97 $29.61 $30.60
Monthly $4,388 $4,561 $4,847 $5,131 $5,303
Yearly $52,666 $54,745 $58,169 $61,593 $63,648
    Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Hourly $20.30 $21.80 $24.30 $43.78 $49.43
Monthly $3,518 $3,778 $4,211 $7,587 $8,566
Yearly $42,227 $45,345 $50,526 $91,059 $102,799
    Spokane-Spokane Valley Hourly $13.24 $13.94 $15.09 $19.53 $27.07
Monthly $2,294 $2,416 $2,615 $3,385 $4,691
Yearly $27,554 $28,992 $31,392 $40,614 $56,305
    Vancouver Hourly $20.01 $22.46 $25.54 $30.05 $35.75
Monthly $3,468 $3,892 $4,426 $5,208 $6,195
Yearly $41,616 $46,716 $53,136 $62,519 $74,371
United States Hourly $14.09 $17.82 $24.08 $32.88 $42.89
Monthly $2,442 $3,088 $4,173 $5,698 $7,433
Yearly $29,310 $37,060 $50,090 $68,400 $89,200

Wages vary greatly depending on the employer, the specialty, and the area of the country where investigators work. Wages tend to be much higher, for example, for loss prevention investigators in large corporations.

Benefits also vary. Most full-time salaried private detectives and investigators receive benefits. These usually include vacation, sick leave, and health insurance. In addition, most corporate investigators receive profit-sharing plans. 

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

Private Detectives and Investigators (SOC 33-9021)

Location Current employment Growth over 10 years Annual openings
This
occupation
All
occupations
Washington 2,496 23.7% 16.1% 380
    Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan Counties 28 7.1% 13.4% 3
    Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum Counties 92 21.7% 15.2% 13
    Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties 95 23.2% 14.1% 14
    Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties 58 13.8% 14.6% 7
    King County 298 12.8% 19.6% 37
    Kittitas, Klickitat, Skamania, and Yakima Counties 81 22.2% 13.8% 12
    Pierce County 16 12.5% 15.2% 2
    Snohomish County 1,126 26.9% 12.4% 180
    Spokane County 78 21.8% 13.9% 11
United States 33,000 7.9% 5.2% 3,300

National employment

Major employers:

National outlook

Demand for this occupation is growing steadily. There is an increased fear of crime, more lawsuits, and the need to protect property and confidential information. An increase of criminal activity on the Internet, such as identity theft, spamming, and illegal downloading will also be a contributing factor. Employee background checks are becoming more common, and this will provide more job opportunities. More private investigators will be needed to assist lawyers working on criminal and civil cases. They will also be needed to control internal and external losses in large companies.

Competition for jobs will be strong. This career attracts many qualified people. Opportunities will be best for entry-level jobs with detective agencies.

Other resources

References

Career cluster

Career path

O*Net (external link) occupation

O*Net job zone (external link)

DOT occupations

Holland occupational cluster

COPSystem