How to become a Detective or Criminal Investigator

Official title: Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Also called: Criminal Investigator, CSI (Crime Scene Investigator), Detective, Fugitive Detective, Fugitive Investigator, Investigator, Narcotics Detective, Narcotics Investigator, Police Detective, Special Agent

Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.

Main tasks

• Prepare reports that detail investigation findings.
• Obtain and verify evidence by interviewing and observing suspects and witnesses or by analyzing records.
• 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 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.
• Analyze completed police reports to determine what additional information and investigative work is needed.
• Note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene.
• Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.

How to become one

The education typically required to enter the occupation ranges from a high school diploma to a college degree. Most police and detectives must graduate from their agency's training academy before completing on-the-job training. Other requirements vary, but candidates usually must be at least 21 years old and able to meet rigorous physical and personal qualifications.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• College: Law & Justice degrees, Offered by 29 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $93,790 a year The middle half earn $69,330 to $120,520.
• About 120,500 people work in this job now, and about 120,700 are projected by 2035. (+0.2%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Police Identification and Records Officers
• Intelligence Analysts
• Bailiffs
• Correctional Officers and Jailers
• Fish and Game Wardens
• Parking Enforcement Workers

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Detective or Criminal Investigator?

The education typically required to enter the occupation ranges from a high school diploma to a college degree. Most police and detectives must graduate from their agency's training academy before completing on-the-job training. Other requirements vary, but candidates usually must be at least 21 years old and able to meet rigorous physical and personal qualifications.

How much does a Detective or Criminal Investigator earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $93,790 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $69,330 to $120,520.

Is a Detective or Criminal Investigator a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 120,500 people now and 120,700 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Detective or Criminal Investigator?

Usually. 64% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Detective or Criminal Investigator?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.