How To Become A Private Investigator: What It Is and Career Path

Q: Can anyone become a private investigator?

Yes, anyone can become a private investigator. There are specific requirements that may make it difficult to become a private investigator, but if you have a desire to do so and sufficient time for the extensive training involved, you can become a private investigator.

Q: How hard is it to become a private investigator?

It is somewhat hard to become a private investigator. Due to the sensitive nature of the profession, private investigating requires many learned skills to be successful. This does not mean that it is extremely difficult to become a private investigator; however, this does mean that you will need to put in a lot of time, work, and effort if you want to be successful.

Q: How to become a private investigator with no experience

You must meet the minimum requirements, research your state's licensure requirements, and get an education in order to become a private investigator with no experience. For details on each of these steps and others you can take to become a private investigator with no experience, use this guide:

Q: What are the pros and cons of being a private investigator?

The pros and cons of being a private investigator include choosing your hours and clients, learning a variety of new skills, and helping others, but at the cost of facing potentially dangerous situations, finding clients, and dealing with stressful situations.

Q: What should I study to become a private investigator?

You should study criminal justice or a related field to become a private investigator. This degree will help you to develop the skills required to be a successful private investigator. Although obtaining a degree is not always a requirement to become a private investigator, it is oftentimes a good idea as it can help with future career growth and development.

What is a private investigator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A private investigator finds and verifies personal, financial, or legal information on behalf of clients who may be individuals or organizations.

Depending on the area of expertise, the work of a private investigator varies from searching for various persons to looking for evidence for potential criminal acts or corporate irregularities. Since every lead is crucial, they have to be keen on details. They must also possess excellent communication and organizational skills.

They may engage in independent investigations. However, they must still heed the restrictions set by law. Although they perform inquiries and seek shreds of evidence, they cannot execute arrests or resort to wiretapping, hacking, or trespassing to get the information they need.

The minimum educational requirement to be a private investigator is a high school diploma. Employers may prefer candidates with an associate or a bachelor's degree in criminal justice or any related field of study. Licensure and prior work experience in the military or the police force are great advantages for this job.

ScorePrivate InvestigatorUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,019

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.1

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.26%

Asian 4.64%

Black or African American 13.17%

Hispanic or Latino 18.90%

Unknown 5.55%

White 57.48%

Gender

female 26.89%

male 73.11%

Age - 43

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 - 43

Stress level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a private investigator

Explore private investigator education requirements

Most common private investigator degrees

Bachelor's

53.9 %

Associate

24.9 %

High School Diploma

8.5 %

Start to develop specific private investigator skills

Skills	Percentages
Background Checks	15.31%
Background Investigations	12.31%
Video Surveillance	11.92%
Subpoenas	4.76%
Law Enforcement Agencies	4.64%

Complete relevant private investigator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New private 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 private investigator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real private investigator resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed private investigator usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed private investigator in most of states. 33 states require private investigators to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	-	-	Licensed Private Investigator
Maryland	Specific course required	State exam required	PRIVATE DETECTIVE
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Private Investigator
California	-	State exam required	Private Investigator
Colorado	-	State exam required	Private Investigator 1

Gain additional private investigator certifications

Private investigator certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific private investigator certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for private investigators include Professional Certified Investigator (PCI) and Certified Crime Scene Investigator.

More About Certifications

Research private investigator duties and responsibilities

Manage all business reporting to include; payroll, taxes, client billing, account reconciliations and compliance reports.
Take ownership of the queue and promptly escalate any issues or obstacles to completing daily SAR filings
Conduct SIU, fraud, criminal, civil, and exploratory investigations as defined in client contracts.
Conduct different types of SIU investigations as well as civil, criminal, and asset background courthouse checks.

Prepare your private investigator resume

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

Choose from 10+ customizable private investigator resume templates

Build a professional private investigator 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 private investigator resume.

Apply for private investigator jobs

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

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

How do private investigators rate their job?

-/5

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1 star

Private investigator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros

Company vehicle, camera, laptop, among many things provided by the company. Pay can be better but great when working overtime. Great training that happens not just in the beginning but whenever possible during lulls in investigations. Working on your own without micromanagement at least with the company I'm at that leaves judgment up to investigator unless you show you need it.

Cons

Irregular work hours and pay don't go hand in hand. If you're not into doing administration work AFTER a long day of investigation, good luck. There are times where I had to request for a WEEKEND off. But because of the irregular schedule as a new Investigator, don't expect to have a life. Especially when it comes to you being the new guy who joins during peak business hours.

What is a private investigator and how to become one

Private investigator career paths

Key steps to become a private investigator

Explore private investigator education requirements

Most common private investigator degrees

Start to develop specific private investigator skills

Complete relevant private investigator training and internships

Obtain the necessary licensing

Gain additional private investigator certifications

Research private investigator duties and responsibilities

Prepare your private investigator resume

Choose from 10+ customizable private investigator resume templates

Apply for private investigator jobs

How did you land your first private investigator job

Average private investigator salary

How do private investigators rate their job?

Private investigator reviews

Private investigator FAQs

Can anyone become a private investigator?

How hard is it to become a private investigator?

How to become a private investigator with no experience

What are the pros and cons of being a private investigator?

What should I study to become a private investigator?

Search for private investigator jobs