Also called: Innocence Project Investigator, Post-Conviction Investigator
Digs back into old criminal cases to find new evidence that could free people convicted of crimes they did not commit.
He drives three hours to find a witness who testified 22 years ago and now says police pressured her. Back at the office he requests old crime-lab files to see if untested DNA still exists, and he updates the lawyer on what could support a new trial.
Estimate; nonprofit innocence organizations and public defender offices.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 7 years after high school. Bachelor's in criminal justice, journalism or a related field; many were detectives, journalists or paralegals first.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Criminal Justice, Journalism, Pre-Law, Forensic Science.
Growing about average. Small field; about 70 innocence organizations operate in the US.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI is speeding the review of transcripts and records; tracking down and interviewing people stays human.
Classes: English, Government, Psychology, Journalism.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.