Also called: Anti-Counterfeiting Investigator, IP Investigator
Hunts down fake products, like counterfeit sneakers, medicines, and electronics, for brands and works with police on raids.
Brand protection investigators run test buys online, trace counterfeit sellers to warehouses, take down listings, and support police and customs seizures. Some work for companies like Nike or Apple, others for investigation firms.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's degree; investigations experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Criminal Justice, Business, International Studies.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). BLS private detectives and investigators, 2025-35.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI auto-finds and removes fake listings; test buys, raids and tracing sellers stay human.
Classes: Business, Computer science, A foreign language.
Official data: O*NET occupation 33-9021.
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.