How To Become A Detective Investigator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a detective investigator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Gary LaFree,

Jodi Gill

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a detective investigator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.78 an hour? That's $53,616 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 2,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a detective investigator?

Gary LaFree

Chair and Professor, University of Maryland

Think about obtaining as much education and training as you can. Be patient. The fundamentals of the economy are relatively strong. Outlet should be much better when we get through the current crisis.

ScoreDetective InvestigatorUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,616

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.1

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.26%

Asian 4.65%

Black or African American 13.40%

Hispanic or Latino 19.01%

Unknown 5.55%

White 57.13%

Gender

female 12.69%

male 87.31%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a detective investigator

Explore detective investigator education requirements

Most common detective investigator degrees

Bachelor's

55.4 %

Associate

22.6 %

Master's

10.1 %

Start to develop specific detective investigator skills

Skills	Percentages
Physical Evidence	13.74%
Patrol	11.83%
Law Enforcement Agencies	6.85%
Insurance Fraud	5.34%
Homicide	4.69%

Complete relevant detective investigator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New detective 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 detective investigator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real detective investigator resumes.

Research detective investigator duties and responsibilities

Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Prepare in-depth detail reports including arrest warrants, search warrants, subpoenas and court orders for criminal prosecution.
Prepare subpoenas and search warrants for account information from various companies and entities for follow-up investigations.
Analyze high risk transaction activity and provide final approval of investigative case analyses utilize for SAR preparation and filing.

Prepare your detective investigator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your detective 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 detective 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 detective investigator resume templates

Build a professional detective 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 detective investigator resume.