How To Become An Investigative Analyst: What It Is and Career Path

What is an investigative analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Latarcia Barnes PhD

An investigative analyst gathers and analyzes data, often for the purpose of solving crimes or identifying security threats. They may work for law enforcement agencies, private investigation firms, or organizations that require in-depth research and analysis. Investigative analysts may use a variety of methods, including interviewing witnesses, reviewing records and documents, and analyzing digital data. They use this information to create reports that help clients or employers make informed decisions.

What general advice would you give to an investigative analyst?

Dr. Latarcia Barnes PhD

Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology, Associate Professor

Federal law enforcement is a great profession to enter. There is retirement after 20 years, great career advancement, and great benefits

ScoreInvestigative AnalystUS Average

Salary

8.3

Avg. Salary $125,975

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.1

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 2.83%

Black or African American 11.88%

Hispanic or Latino 16.93%

Unknown 4.99%

White 62.71%

Gender

female 55.06%

male 44.94%

Age - 44

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 - 44

Stress level

6.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an investigative analyst?

Pros

Exposure to varied industries and sectors
Competitive salary with room for growth
Working with a team of experts in the field
Access to advanced technology and software tools
Job security and stability

Cons

Exposure to sensitive and disturbing information
Risk of physical harm or danger in certain investigations
Limited personal life due to the nature of the job
Constant need for discretion and confidentiality
Limited upward mobility beyond investigative analyst role

Key steps to become an investigative analyst

Explore investigative analyst education requirements

Most common investigative analyst degrees

Bachelor's

66.6 %

Associate

12.5 %

Master's

11.7 %

Start to develop specific investigative analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Criminal Justice	7.45%
External Stakeholders	7.39%
Anti-Money Laundering	7.20%
Identify Trends	7.07%
Management System	6.41%

Complete relevant investigative analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New investigative analysts 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 an investigative analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real investigative analyst resumes.

Research investigative analyst duties and responsibilities

Manage a team responsible for an audit and complete overhaul of a lab after finding several critical HIPAA violations.
Manage reporting, investigating identity thefts, identifying account take over and AML, conducting compliance audits and account closures as needed
Manage the Medicaid provider exclusion and reinstatement monitoring and reporting activities to meet customer expectations and government requirements.
Provide QA oversight of corrective and preventive actions by reviewing and entering data into the CAPA system.

Prepare your investigative analyst resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your investigative analyst 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 an investigative analyst resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable investigative analyst resume templates

Build a professional investigative analyst 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 investigative analyst resume.