In Depth Guide to Working as an Investigator

Investigators put their analytical skills to work solving crimes, locating lost people, and recovering information. Work for federal, state, or local law enforcement, or hang out your own shingle as a private investigator.

Which Types of Jobs Are Available for Investigators?

Investigation is a broader field than you might think. Investigators work in law enforcement and private consulting, investigating criminal, legal, financial, and personal questions. A day in the life of an investigator may include meeting with clients, interviewing suspects and witnesses, investigating evidence and data, performing surveillance, filing claims, or testifying in court.

The types of jobs available to investigators cover all types of investigation:

• Private detectives offer broad services, with an emphasis on legal prosecution and personal cases.
• Police detectives focus on investigating crimes and supporting criminal prosecution.
• Computer forensic investigators specialize in the recovery and analysis of computer data. They may also collect and analyze evidence as part of a fraud investigation.
• Legal investigators prepare criminal cases, locating witnesses, serving documents, and collecting evidence.
• Corporate investigators conduct internal and regulatory investigations to ensure legal compliance.
• Financial investigators create financial profiles of companies on behalf of investors, potential buyers, investment banks, etc. They may also serve as fraud investigators.

Investigation offers a diverse and exciting career path: investigators thrive on the constant challenge of connecting the dots and solving a case. At times, this challenge can become a liability rather than a thrill: some detectives come into contact with volatile situations and people, for example. Many private detectives also take on the financial insecurity of running a private business, which involves irregular hours and often, an irregular caseload.

Formal Training Required to Work as an Investigator

Investigators come to the career with different formal training backgrounds; the only baseline requirement is a high school diploma. Most investigators arrive in the field with a college education, such as an associate or bachelor's degree in criminal justice or police science. A background in law enforcement is as much an asset as formal training in many sectors of investigation. That said, a college degree helps you build the criminal justice and applied investigation skills that take you to the top of your profession. Investigators in specialized areas such as financial investigation, computer forensics, and surveillance generally develop expertise through investigation certificate courses or degree programs.

Available career training programs in investigation include:

• Private investigator certificate
• Private investigator or detective diploma
• Associate's degree in criminal investigation, security, law enforcement, or private investigation
• Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, information security, or police science

Programs range from several weeks for a certificate to four years for a bachelor's degree. Courses cover criminal justice concepts as well as applied investigation techniques. Depending on the training program you choose, you may study criminology and behavioral psychology, crime scene investigation, surveillance technology, cyber security and data recovery, and reporting techniques. You can work toward your degree at your own pace by choosing an online degree in investigation.

The Typical Career Path of Someone Working as an Investigator

Investigators typically get their start working for a public law enforcement agency such as a police department. Entry-level positions include police officer and criminal investigator; detective jobs generally require some work experience. As you build expertise and a successful track record, you may choose to advance into a supervisory role within law enforcement, or establish yourself as a private eye. Private investigators may work for a detective agency or launch their own business as a private consultant. About one in five private investigators is self-employed.

Job Outlook and Salary Information for Someone Working as an Investigator

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, investigators can expect growing demand for their services. Private investigators and detectives should see 22 percent job growth over the 2008 to 2018 period, and criminal investigators should experience a 17 percent increase in public law enforcement jobs. Competition for these jobs should be intense, however, particularly for private detectives. Some of the best opportunities are expected to be in financial fraud investigation and data forensics specialties. Formal training can help you gain an edge in the competitive job market for investigators.

Salaries vary widely depending on your career path; criminal investigators earned an median annual wage of $62,110 in 2009, while private detectives had a median salary of $42,110. Specialists, especially computer forensics experts, have the potential to earn much more. Detective supervisors also enjoy higher earnings, with wages for 2009 coming in at $76,500.

Criminal and private investigation offers an exciting analytical career with strong opportunities for advancement. Establish you career as an investigator with formal training in criminal and specialized investigation techniques.