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What is a criminal investigator and how to become one
Criminal Investigators research criminal cases and solve mysteries. They are on the lookout for suspicious activities preventing future crimes, and identifying suspects.
There are various areas you might specialize in as a criminal investigator. You might become an expert in conducting surveillance, collecting and analyzing evidence, or questioning suspects. Whatever your particular area, you will use specialized equipment to perform your duties and work as a team or department member.
Criminal investigators are usually highly driven and self-motivated people. Their mind is logical, and their body is fit. They are highly observant and able to read the signs and draw conclusions from most of us pass by as irrelevant. They have the technical skills necessary to use their equipment, and they can notice connections between details and events to assemble the disparate and scant pieces of a situation.
What general advice would you give to a criminal investigator?
Gary LaFree
Chair and Professor, University of Maryland
Avg. Salary $54,520
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 3%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%
Asian 2.83%
Black or African American 11.85%
Hispanic or Latino 16.88%
Unknown 4.99%
White 62.79%
Genderfemale 20.32%
male 79.68%
Age - 44American 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 - 44Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Criminal investigator career paths
Key steps to become a criminal investigator
Explore criminal investigator education requirements
Start to develop specific criminal investigator skills
Skills Percentages Investigative Reports 13.12% Resourcefulness 10.65% Firearms 10.52% Treasury 8.57% Investigative Techniques 7.59% Complete relevant criminal investigator training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New criminal 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 criminal investigator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real criminal investigator resumes.Research criminal investigator duties and responsibilities
- Conduct joint planning and manage AFOSI's criminal investigations and counterintelligence operations in northern Italy.
- Close accounts and file SAR's with FinCEN as warranted.
- Write suspicious activity reports (SAR).
- Follow up on sub reviews and documentation require information for FinCEN reporting.
Prepare your criminal investigator resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your criminal 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 criminal 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 criminal investigator resume templates
Build a professional criminal 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 criminal investigator resume.
Apply for criminal investigator jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a criminal 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
How did you land your first criminal investigator job
Are you a criminal investigator?
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Average criminal investigator salary
The average criminal investigator salary in the United States is $54,520 per year or $26 per hour. Criminal investigator salaries range between $34,000 and $85,000 per year.
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Updated January 8, 2025
