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What is a child protective investigator and how to become one
A child protective investigator is responsible for investigating claims of child neglect and abuse. You are to collect court evidence of incident reports for child-violating cases and keep the child under safe custody for protection. Your responsibilities include checking calls and reports of child abuse and neglect, logging case details, conducting needs evaluation on clients, assessing aptness of services provided, documenting all findings, and generating case reports. For this, you'll investigate reports of abuse and neglect that are reported to the state abuse hotline and work together with social workers, psychologists, lawyers, and law enforcement officers to develop support and intervention plans.
To be qualified for this job, you need a bachelor's degree in social services, criminal justice, and forensic science. You should be compassionate and capable of working in distressing situations. You should also possess interpersonal and communication skills and sound investigative knowledge. Your average annual salary will be $49,733.
Avg. Salary $47,903
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 9%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.51%
Asian 2.67%
Black or African American 13.37%
Hispanic or Latino 15.12%
Unknown 4.19%
White 63.14%
Genderfemale 67.58%
male 32.42%
Age - 42American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 42Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Child protective investigator career paths
Key steps to become a child protective investigator
Explore child protective investigator education requirements
Start to develop specific child protective investigator skills
Skills Percentages Patrol 35.25% Social Work 15.91% Local Law Enforcement 6.67% CCTV 4.38% Child Protective 3.57% Complete relevant child protective investigator training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New child protective investigators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a child protective investigator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real child protective investigator resumes.Research child protective investigator duties and responsibilities
- Utilize locating systems, negotiate agreements, file motions and prepare subpoenas.
- Review and approve time sheets, mileage reports for CPI assign to the unit.
- Complete timely findings including determining if someone should be place on the child abuse registry.
- Investigate reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation that are report to the state abuse hotline.
Prepare your child protective investigator resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your child protective investigator resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a child protective investigator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable child protective investigator resume templates
Build a professional child protective investigator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your child protective investigator resume.
Apply for child protective investigator jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a child protective investigator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
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Average child protective investigator salary
The average child protective investigator salary in the United States is $47,903 per year or $23 per hour. Child protective investigator salaries range between $37,000 and $61,000 per year.
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Child protective investigator reviews
The vulnerable are cared for and protected
The salary should be increased considering their role in the lives of the future generation especially the vulnerable children.
Helping children have a better life. All children from broken families need a chance to survive no matter what.
Updated January 8, 2025
