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Job outlook for legal investigators in the United States
Are legal investigator jobs in demand?
Legal investigator job and salary trends over time
Legal investigator jobs over time
Legal investigator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 873 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 844 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 843 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 824 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 806 | 0.00% |
Average legal investigator salary over time
Legal investigator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $72,914 | $35.06 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $70,634 | $33.96 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $69,456 | $33.39 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $68,503 | $32.93 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $67,877 | $32.63 | +2.0% |
Legal investigator jobs by state
Most common states for legal investigators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 116 | 17% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 28 | 3% |
| 3 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 486 | 2% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 151 | 2% |
| 5 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 150 | 2% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 145 | 2% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 126 | 2% |
| 8 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 125 | 2% |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 112 | 2% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 100 | 2% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 45 | 2% |
| 12 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 36 | 2% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 26 | 2% |
| 14 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 22 | 2% |
| 15 | Alaska | 739,795 | 16 | 2% |
| 16 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 16 | 2% |
| 17 | California | 39,536,653 | 580 | 1% |
| 18 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 400 | 1% |
| 19 | New York | 19,849,399 | 268 | 1% |
| 20 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 98 | 1% |
Legal Investigator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of legal investigator experts
University of Houston
What soft skills should all Legal Investigators possess?
Katherine Butler Brem: Whether trial or transactional, a lawyer's ability to spot issues and think critically about those issues is crucial to success. The world moves fast, and I think that has encouraged all of us to look for the "quick" answer. We're conditioned to think if we need to know something, we can just look it up. But the law doesn't work that way. First, lawyers have to have a sufficient knowledge base to spot not just the obvious issues but those that are not so obvious. And then the lawyer has to be willing to spend the time and intellectual capital to think hard about the issues, do some research, and then think even harder about them. In a world where "action" represents the typical coin of the realm, it can be difficult for lawyers to exercise the discipline required to slow down and think before they act. But those who do develop a reputation as excellent strategists, and this is a very marketable skill.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Legal Investigators?
Katherine Butler Brem: Two things: Research skills, especially research skills specific to a particular specialty area like tax or immigration. If you're looking for work in these fields, you need to be knowledgeable about where and how to research law relevant to these specialties. Secondly, just minimum competence in the technology you need to practice law in the absence of significant administrative assistance - things like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and billing software.