Also called: Cold Case Detective, Unsolved Homicide Investigator
Reopens unsolved murders and missing-person cases from years ago, using new DNA, genealogy, and fresh eyes on old files.
Cold case investigators pull dusty boxes of evidence, re-read every report, and send old clothing or swabs for modern DNA testing. They re-interview witnesses who may talk now that decades have passed, and work with genetic genealogists to name suspects. When a case is solved, they call a family that waited 30 years.
Detective pay; grant-funded civilian roles may pay less. Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 10 years after high school. Usually a veteran homicide detective; some agencies hire retired detectives as civilian investigators.
Ways in: On-the-job training, 4-year college. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, Psychology.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). BLS police and detectives, 2024-34; this assignment is a small slice (approx.).
Low risk for 10 years. AI and DNA databases surface leads; interviews, judgment and building a court case stay human.
Classes: Biology, Psychology, English composition.
Official data: O*NET occupation 33-3021.
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.