Also called: Criminal Investigator, Investigator
Investigates crimes like burglary, fraud, or assault to identify and arrest suspects.
Detectives interview victims and witnesses, collect surveillance video, write search warrants, and build cases for prosecutors. A day might mean three interviews and hours of phone records. Most officers spend several years on patrol before making detective.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 5 years after high school. Police academy plus 3-5 years as an officer; promotion by exam.
Ways in: On-the-job training, 4-year college. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Criminal Justice, Criminology, Psychology.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). BLS police and detectives 2024-34.
Low risk for 10 years. AI sorts phone records and video fast; interviewing people, judging lies and building a case for court stay human.
Classes: Psychology, English composition, Spanish, Mock Trial.
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.