Occupations · Protective Service
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 33-3021.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 79% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $106,540 | 7,460 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $153,340 | 4,760 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $127,980 | 3,070 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $65,320 | 2,950 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $118,830 | 2,780 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $102,370 | 2,170 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $98,740 | 2,100 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $113,800 | 2,030 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $84,980 | 1,850 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $86,440 | 1,830 |
| El Paso, TX | $107,240 | 1,760 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | $77,470 | 1,680 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.
- Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.
- Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.
- Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.
- Prepare charges or responses to charges, or information for court cases, according to formalized procedures.
- Prepare reports that detail investigation findings.
- Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed.
- Obtain summary of incident from officer in charge at crime scene, taking care to avoid disturbing evidence.
- Note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene.
- Examine records and governmental agency files to find identifying data about suspects.
- Secure persons at scene, keeping witnesses from conversing or leaving the scene before investigators arrive.
- Provide information to lab personnel concerning the source of an item of evidence and tests to be performed.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2022-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2022-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Operate drones for aerial surveillance or to gather evidence from difficult to reach locations.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
Get this as a personal report
The same sourced evidence, recut for the closest published view of your city, state or industry, as a dated PDF.
Free page vs. the $29 report
The page above is a public national reference: it is the same for every reader. The $29 report uses the location or industry you name, states the exact BLS cut used, and packages five decision-focused sections as a PDF. Choose $49 when you need a broader comparison of industries, places, changes and next moves.
What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 8
No longer listed 6
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| private detective | 3411.8 | close |
| criminal investigator | 3355.1 | broader |
| police detective | 3355.2 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
Keep exploring
See labor-market evidence in motion.
Watch short Tamhu stories about pay, growth and how work changes — then return to the source data here.
Watch this occupation
This job has changed before and it will change again. We'll email you when the data moves — a tool appears, a skill gains weight, the pay distribution shifts. Free, and one click to stop.
Check your inbox — your watch starts only after you confirm.
We send data, not advice. No sharing, no resale. Privacy