Law & Government
Private Detectives and Investigators
Gather, analyze, compile, and report information regarding individuals or organizations to clients, or detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishment.
Median salary (BLS)
$51,220
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$37k – $98k
Job outlook
+6% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $105,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Private Detectives and Investigators
Education
Typical entry: Associate degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Private Detectives and Investigators
Entry / Junior
$36,740
~2 yrs to advance
Private Detectives and Investigators
Established
$51,220
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Private Detectives and Investigators
Senior
$74,425
Key skills
A typical day
- •Write reports or case summaries to document investigations.
- •Conduct private investigations on a paid basis.
- •Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax or legal filings, or other resources to locate persons or to compile information for investigations.
- •Conduct personal background investigations, such as pre-employment checks, to obtain information about an individual's character, financial status, or personal history.
- •Expose fraudulent insurance claims or stolen funds.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Law & Government
Explore all- Yale University5% admit · $105,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- Stanford University4% admit · $122,000 grad pay
- Columbia University4% admit · $103,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.