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What is a human rights investigator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

Unfortunately, humans are not always good at respecting each other's rights. From workplace discrimination to violent human rights violations during conflict, humans inflict all manners of harm on each other. Where there is harm, there are people determined to investigate it and bring justice, people like human rights investigators.

Human rights investigators can work for government agencies or nonprofits and investigate all manners of human rights abuses. They investigate any possible harm by gathering documents, interviewing witnesses and survivors, and collecting any material evidence. They build their case against the perpetrator and share information with forces of justice in the form of a report.

Human rights investigators need to know a lot about international law or criminal justice. Many pursue a bachelor's or master's degree in those fields before becoming investigators. Soft skills such as an analytical mindset, a compassionate demeanor when talking with survivors, and the mental strength to handle investigating crimes that are often grisly are also important.

ScoreHuman Rights InvestigatorUS Average
Salary
3.9

Avg. Salary $50,039

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.84%

Asian 8.36%

Black or African American 10.71%

Hispanic or Latino 16.04%

Unknown 4.48%

White 59.58%

Gender

female 50.21%

male 49.79%

Age - 46
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 - 46
Stress level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Human rights investigator career paths

Key steps to become a human rights investigator

  1. Explore human rights investigator education requirements

    Most common human rights investigator degrees

    Bachelor's

    59.6 %

    Master's

    21.8 %

    Associate

    8.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific human rights investigator skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Investigative Reports16.66%
    Law Enforcement10.76%
    Mediation10.08%
    Investigation Findings6.86%
    Conduct Interviews6.22%
  3. Complete relevant human rights investigator training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New human rights 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 human rights investigator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real human rights investigator resumes.
  4. Research human rights investigator duties and responsibilities

    • Manage comprehensive and confidential internal investigations of allege EEO violations, employee misconduct, and/or non-compliance with Fannie Mae policies.
    • Conduct community meetings and seminars on discrimination, mediation, conciliation, and law updates.
    • Assist attorneys in misdemeanor civil/criminal cases by delivering subpoenas, interviewing witnesses, collecting and documenting evidence relate to open cases.
    • Determine likelihood of HIPAA violations base upon statute and HHS rulemaking.
  5. Apply for human rights investigator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a human rights investigator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first human rights investigator job

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Average human rights investigator salary

The average human rights investigator salary in the United States is $50,039 per year or $24 per hour. Human rights investigator salaries range between $33,000 and $74,000 per year.

Average human rights investigator salary
$50,039 Yearly
$24.06 hourly

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Human rights investigator reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

As the pandemic of COVID 19 continues.The black lives matter Needs some attention. I believe I could change there perspectives be a public figure to ease the need to protest.

Cons

As I stand for America I don’t particularly enjoy to see Americans causing so much grief. To themselves and to others.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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