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What is a legal investigator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

A legal investigator uses their knowledge of the law to uncover evidence of wrongdoing. They can work for a law office to help attorneys build a case against a company accused of malpractice, for an insurance company to help uncover fraud, or even for law enforcement agencies.

Legal investigators need to be highly knowledgeable about the law to analyze legal documents and gather evidence to be used in court. They need to have excellent attention to detail and an analytical mindset to uncover discrepancies in the evidence and discover the truth about what really happened.

Legal investigators are not lawyers, so they don't have to go to law school or pass the bar. However, most have a bachelor's or master's degree in criminal justice or a related field. It also helps if they have experience working in the legal field, such as a legal assistant, before striking out on their own. For their investigative services, legal investigators earn an average salary of $57,984 a year.

ScoreLegal InvestigatorUS Average
Salary
5.7

Avg. Salary $72,914

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 6.50%

Black or African American 5.68%

Hispanic or Latino 7.91%

Unknown 4.39%

White 75.21%

Gender

female 33.99%

male 66.01%

Age - 45
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 - 45
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
4.9

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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Legal Investigator career paths

Key steps to become a legal investigator

  1. Explore legal investigator education requirements

    Most common legal investigator degrees

    Bachelor's

    61.0 %

    Associate

    16.0 %

    Master's

    9.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific legal investigator skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Investigative Reports24.03%
    Litigation17.52%
    Legal Investigations15.90%
    Conduct Interviews12.10%
    Legal Research4.45%
  3. Complete relevant legal investigator training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New legal 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 legal investigator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real legal investigator resumes.
  4. Research legal investigator duties and responsibilities

    • Create PowerPoint presentation used to train staff on managing copyright and trademark infringement risk.
    • Prepare trial exhibits, perform criminal background checks, and serve motions and subpoenas.
    • Work as a freelance investigator/legal researcher specializing in environmental and civil litigation.
    • Provide investigative services for large loss litigation cases, precedent case research and legal discovery analysis.
  5. Apply for legal investigator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a legal 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

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Average legal investigator salary

The average Legal Investigator salary in the United States is $72,914 per year or $35 per hour. Legal investigator salaries range between $45,000 and $117,000 per year.

Average Legal Investigator Salary
$72,914 Yearly
$35.05 hourly

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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.