How to hire a lead investigator

How to hire a lead investigator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead investigator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a lead investigator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lead investigator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a lead investigator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the lead investigator you need to hire. Certain lead investigator roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect lead investigator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of lead investigators and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Lead Investigator	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead Investigator	Private detectives and investigators search for information about legal, financial, and personal matters. They offer many services, such as verifying people’s backgrounds and statements, finding missing persons, and investigating computer crimes.	$14-54
   Officer	An officer is responsible for managing the daily operations of the assigned area, ensuring its peace and security by monitoring and reporting unusual and suspicious activities. Officers are the ones enforcing strict safety protocols and procedures to maintain the order within the premises... Show more	$12-49
   Deputy	The duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat... Show more	$14-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Law Enforcement Agencies
   • Background Investigations
   • Data Analysis
   • Corrective Action
   • Criminal Justice
   • Loss Prevention
   • Insurance Fraud
   • Investigation Reports
   • CAPA
   • Local Law Enforcement
   • Fraud Investigations
   • Evidence Collection
   • Conduct Investigations
   • FDA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage corporate-wide document production relative to complex litigation cases.
   • Require to testify at court appearances in response to research pertaining to various types of subpoenas.
   • Develop procedures for and review incoming referrals from internal departments and subpoenas to determine if a full investigation are warranted.
   • Ensure effective prioritization of investigation through supervision and monitor & review investigative activity and outcomes using CCTV & by running reports.
   • Investigate and open cases on customers and non-customers who have potentially engage in activity which goes against federally mandate BSA/AML regulations.
   • Generate records by interrogatories or name, date of birth and social security number.

   More lead investigator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lead investigator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A lead investigator salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a lead investigator in Arizona may be lower than in Delaware, and an entry-level lead investigator usually earns less than a senior-level lead investigator. Additionally, a lead investigator with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average lead investigator salary

   $60,060yearly

   $28.88 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lead investigator salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average lead investigator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$74,466	$36
   2	New York	$73,772	$35
   3	Texas	$65,944	$32
   4	Connecticut	$64,459	$31
   5	Illinois	$63,206	$30
   6	Massachusetts	$60,326	$29
   7	Pennsylvania	$58,299	$28
   8	Minnesota	$57,714	$28
   9	Colorado	$49,446	$24
   10	Georgia	$48,631	$23
   11	Arizona	$45,950	$22
   12	Florida	$39,751	$19

   Average lead investigator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BNY Mellon	$102,343	$49.20	2
   2	Pfizer	$98,207	$47.21	2
   3	Citi	$97,956	$47.09	5
   4	Amazon	$83,644	$40.21	36
   5	Abbott	$83,140	$39.97
   6	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$82,043	$39.44
   7	Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.	$79,463	$38.20	1
   8	Emory University	$67,613	$32.51
   9	UnitedHealth Group	$57,952	$27.86	26
   10	Emory Healthcare	$55,859	$26.86
   11	KeyBank	$54,675	$26.29	2
   12	Western Union	$53,990	$25.96	3
   13	The PNC Financial Services Group	$51,204	$24.62	11
   14	The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County	$41,760	$20.08
   15	PNC	$41,569	$19.99	6
   16	Maricopa County	$41,146	$19.78	2
   17	Rite Aid	$39,512	$19.00
   18	Target	$37,856	$18.20	97

4. Writing a lead investigator job description

   A job description for a lead investigator role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a lead investigator job description:

   Lead investigator job description example

   
   
   Contribute to our mission to improve Health and Wellness in your community.
   
   Become a Bartell Drugs Lead Asset Protection Investigator, today!
   
   ** "Bartell Drugs ranked 2nd most recognized and respected brand in Washington
   State" ** - Forbes Listing Top 10 **
   
   As a Lead Asset Protection Investigator, you protect Bartell Drugs company and store assets by enforcing Loss Prevention policies and procedures. Your purpose is to prevent and reduce losses in collaboration with local law enforcement.
   
   Why you will THRIVE here:
   
   You love to help people.
   You have an innate need to find answers where they aren't obvious.
   You love to be orderly and organized.
   You project a sense of urgency, without a sense of panic.
   You have a way of making people feel comfortable.
   
   Day-in-the-Life of a Lead Asset Protection Investigator :
   

   • Observe, investigate, and attempt to deter criminal acts in assigned store location(s).
   • Build cases on repeat offenders and communicate with the Organized Retail Crime team in order to provide evidence to local, state, or federal law enforcement.
   • Detain dishonest customers and make law enforcement referrals when necessary and safe.
   • Identify Internal theft and work closely with Regional Asset Protection Leader (RAPL) to resolve.
   • Review, analyze, and audit Point of Sale (POS) transactions via exception tools and programs (EBR, POS Synchronization, CPR, SBI, Inventory Build, and communication from Store Management, etc.) to identify issues as directed by Asset Protection Regional Leader.
   • Prevent internal losses by coaching and providing feedback to store associates on executing internal controls and creating/executing external theft strategies and tactics.
   • Assist in training store associates about company policies and procedures, as well as shrink management tactics.
   • Assist in executing various company Loss Prevention programs.
   • Assist in maintaining the physical security of the store(s) via audits of alarm systems, CCTV, locks, lighting, exterior of premises, and other physical control tactics.

   
   
   Education and/or Experience
   

   • H.S. Diploma or General Education Degree (GED) required.
   • 6 months of experience previous retail or asset protection experience preferred, but not required.
   • 6 months of experience Or equal experience with, law enforcement or military work experience.
   • Ability to access reliable and frequent transportation at varying times.
   • Must be 21 years of age or older.

   
   
   What's in it for you?
   
   In an effort to improve and sustain the health and wellness of our employees, we offer competitive health plans, generous paid time off, 401K matching, and career growth opportunities! From the moment you join our team, we provide an environment that inspires and motivates you to work here and reach your full potential. We support personal growth and celebrate achievements. We dedicate ourselves to creating an experience for all our associates that is easy, exciting, and engaging.
   
   Apply to become a Bartell Drugs Lead Asset Protection Investigator and thrive with us today!
   
   183399673

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find lead investigators for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lead investigator job on Zippia to find and recruit lead investigator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit lead investigators, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new lead investigator

   Once you've decided on a perfect lead investigator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new lead investigator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a lead investigator?