Private Investigator Career

Contemplating a private investigator career? Private investigators and private detectives use techniques which include surveillance, searches, interviews and background checks, to gather evidence which is used to verify facts about individuals or companies.

Court Reporting | Paralegal | Homeland Security | Criminal Justice | Law | Private Investigator | Forensic Science

Request free information from these colleges and universities that offer curricula leading to private detective careers.

Kaplan University: Associate in Criminal Justice, Bachelor in Criminal Justice, Certificate in Criminal Justice, Corrections, Forensic Science / Crime Scene Investigation, Law Enforcement, Private/Criminal Detective.

Penn Foster: Associate in Criminal Justice, Court Reporting, Private/Criminal Detective.

Professionals provide their services in civil liability and personal injury cases, insurance claims and fraud, child custody and protection cases, marital infidelity cases and premarital screening. Others work in pre-employment verification and celebrity protection. Some common setting you would work in:

• Legal investigators: Work on cases that involve the court/legal system. They work for law firms to prepare criminal defenses, locating witnesses, serving legal documents, interviewing police and prospective witnesses, and gathering and reviewing evidence.
• Corporate investigators: Conduct internal and external investigations for corporations e.g. workplace theft and billing fraud.
• Financial investigators: Hired to prepare confidential financial profiles of individuals or companies in financial transactions. Some people with a private investigator career are also certified public accountants (CPAs) working with investment bankers and other accountants. Others work involves protecting assets, damage recovery, and fraud or theft investigation.
• Store detectives (loss prevention agents): Work in retail stores, store, etc to control losses and protecting assets.

Education and Training

For most private investigation jobs, the academic requirements are usually a 2-year associate or 4-year bachelor degree in criminal justice-related areas. The National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI) confers the title Certified Legal Investigator to licensed investigators who specialize in negligence and criminal defense. To work in corporate investigations you would need a bachelors degree in most cases. Many investigators have a degree in law or MBA especially in forensic accounting or auditing. In addition you would also receive training from your employer. Most states require private detectives and investigators to be licensed. Other requirements may vary by state but include:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Education in police science, criminal law or criminal justice
• Have at least 3 years or 6,000 hours of investigative experience
• Pass an evaluation by the Federal Department of Justice and a criminal history background check
• Pass a state examination covering laws and regulations
• Meet state requirements to get fire arms permit
  

Expected Salary

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average income to be about $60,390. Security/loss prevention directors and vice presidents make about $77,000-$80,000 investigators make about $40,000 while store detectives earn about $25,000.

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