Occupations · Protective Service
Private Detectives and Investigators
Gather, analyze, compile, and report information regarding individuals or organizations to clients, or detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishment.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 33-9021.00
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 72% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $59,950 | 1,780 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $59,840 | 1,740 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $77,680 | 1,320 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $50,860 | 1,200 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $54,080 | 1,180 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $44,590 | 890 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $75,230 | 760 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $74,720 | 740 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $43,310 | 700 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $51,610 | 680 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $47,860 | 670 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $76,730 | 670 |
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.
- Write reports or case summaries to document investigations.
- Conduct private investigations on a paid basis.
- Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax or legal filings, or other resources to locate persons or to compile information for investigations.
- Expose fraudulent insurance claims or stolen funds.
- Conduct personal background investigations, such as pre-employment checks, to obtain information about an individual's character, financial status, or personal history.
- Obtain and analyze information on suspects, crimes, or disturbances to solve cases, to identify criminal activity, or to gather information for court cases.
- Testify at hearings or court trials to present evidence.
- Question persons to obtain evidence for cases of divorce, child custody, or missing persons or information about individuals' character or financial status.
- Observe and document activities of individuals to detect unlawful acts or to obtain evidence for cases, using binoculars and still or video cameras.
- Investigate companies' financial standings, or locate funds stolen by embezzlers, using accounting skills.
- Perform undercover operations, such as evaluating the performance or honesty of employees by posing as customers or employees.
- Alert appropriate personnel to suspects' locations.
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 2015-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2015-07
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
- Serve documents to parties named in legal proceedings.
- Use advanced technology, such as drones, GPS trackers, and surveillance cameras, to facilitate investigations.
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
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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 7
No longer listed 1
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 | exact |
| criminal investigator | 3355.1 | close |
| intelligence officer | 2422.7 | close |
| police officer | 5412.1 | close |
| store detective | 3411.8.1 | broader |
| police detective | 3355.2 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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