Private Detectives and Investigators Salary: How Much Do Private Detectives and Investigators Make ? 2020 Private Detectives and Investigators Salary Guide

Private Detectives and Investigators Salary

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Salary

$50.5K

Growth

8%

Bright Outlook

Bright

Green

No

Private Detectives and Investigators Job Description

Gather, analyze, compile and report information regarding individuals or organizations to clients, or detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishment.

Also known as:

Private Investigator, Loss Prevention Agent, Asset Protection Detective, Special Investigator, Loss Prevention Associate, Field Investigator, Loss Prevention Detective, Loss Prevention Officer, Investigator, Loss Prevention Investigator

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Annual Wage	$30,390	$37,030	$50,510	$67,940	$89,760
Hourly Wage	$14.61	$17.80	$24.28	$32.67	$43.15

How Much Do Private Detectives and Investigators Make ? 2020

Percentile

10%

25%

50% (Median)

75%

90%

Annual Wage

$30,390

$37,030

$50,510

$67,940

$89,760

Hourly Wage

$14.61

$17.80

$24.28

$32.67

$43.15

Private Detectives and Investigators Tasks

Write reports or case summaries to document investigations.
Conduct private investigations on a paid basis.
Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax or legal filings, or other resources to locate persons or to compile information for investigations.
Expose fraudulent insurance claims or stolen funds.
Conduct personal background investigations, such as pre-employment checks, to obtain information about an individual's character, financial status, or personal history.
Obtain and analyze information on suspects, crimes, or disturbances to solve cases, to identify criminal activity, or to gather information for court cases.
Testify at hearings or court trials to present evidence.
Question persons to obtain evidence for cases of divorce, child custody, or missing persons or information about individuals' character or financial status.
Observe and document activities of individuals to detect unlawful acts or to obtain evidence for cases, using binoculars and still or video cameras.
Investigate companies' financial standings, or locate funds stolen by embezzlers, using accounting skills.
Perform undercover operations, such as evaluating the performance or honesty of employees by posing as customers or employees.
Alert appropriate personnel to suspects' locations.
Monitor industrial or commercial properties to enforce conformance to establishment rules and to protect people or property.
Confer with establishment officials, security departments, police, or postal officials to identify problems, provide information, or receive instructions.
Apprehend suspects and release them to law enforcement authorities or security personnel.
Warn troublemakers causing problems on establishment premises and eject them from premises when necessary.

What Activities Do Private Detectives and Investigators Do?

Prepare investigation or incident reports.
Investigate personal characteristics or activities of individuals.
Examine records or other types of data to investigate criminal activities.
Use databases to locate investigation details or other information.
Investigate personal characteristics or activities of individuals.
Investigate crimes committed within organizations.
Examine records or other types of data to investigate criminal activities.
Testify at legal or legislative proceedings.
Interview people to obtain information about actions or status of individuals.
Record crime or accident scene evidence with video or still cameras.
Observe individuals' activities to gather information or compile evidence.
Investigate crimes committed within organizations.
Investigate personal characteristics or activities of individuals.
Communicate situation details to appropriate personnel.
Inspect facilities to ensure compliance with security or safety regulations.
Collaborate with law enforcement or security agencies to respond to incidents.
Apprehend criminal suspects.
Warn individuals about rule violations or safety concerns.
Prevent unauthorized individuals from entering restricted areas.

Typical Private Detectives and Investigators Knowledge?

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

What Are Typical Private Detectives and Investigators Abilities?

Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Near Vision - Seeing details up close.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.
Selective Attention - Paying attention to something without being distracted.

What Are Typical Private Detectives and Investigators Skills? 2020

Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

What Are Typical Private Detectives and Investigators Interests?

Conventional - Occupations related to Conventional interests frequently involve following set procedures and routines. They include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising - Occupations with Enterprising interests frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. Many involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Location	2018 Employment	2028 Employment	Percent change	Annual projected job openings
United States	33,000	35,600	8%	3,300

What Is The Projected Employment For Private Detectives and Investigators ? 2020

Location

2018 Employment

2028 Employment

Percent change

Annual projected job openings

United States

33,000

35,600

8%

3,300

What Is The Required Private Detectives and Investigators Education & Experience? 2020

High school diploma or equivalent
Less than 5 years work experience
1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Private Detectives and Investigators Jobs Near Me .

0 United States

What Careers Are Related To Private Detectives and Investigators?

Real Estate Brokers

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products

Airfield Operations Specialists

Procurement Clerks

Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents

Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping

Administrative Services Managers

Loan Officers

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2020 Private Detectives and Investigators Salary Guide