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Private Investigator
Legal & ComplianceYou investigate things for people who can't — or don't want to — go to the police. Most of your work is insurance fraud cases, cheating spouses, and background checks, not solving murders in a trench coat. You'll sit in a car for 12 hours watching a front door, take photos through windows, and write reports that bore even you.
Salary Range
Low
$35k
Median
$53k
High
$85k
10-Year Growth
average
US Workers
37K
Education
State PI license + often requires prior law enforcement or military experience
Environment
both
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Surveillance techniques and equipment
- ▸Public records and database searches (LexisNexis, TLO)
- ▸Digital forensics and social media investigation
- ▸Interview and interrogation techniques
- ▸Photography and video documentation
- ▸GPS tracking and counter-surveillance
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Persistence and patience
- ▸Discretion
- ▸Analytical thinking
- ▸Ethical judgment
- ▸Written report writing
Learn the skills
Courses and certifications to get you job-ready
Public records and database searches (LexisNexis, TLO)
Digital forensics and social media investigation
What you'll actually do
- 01Conduct surveillance from your car while eating gas station snacks and trying not to look suspicious
- 02Run background checks through databases that aren't as exciting as the ones in movies
- 03Interview witnesses and sources who may or may not be telling you the truth
- 04Document everything with photos, video, and detailed logs that hold up in court
- 05Deliver findings to clients who sometimes don't want to hear what you found
- 06Maintain your PI license and stay current on state laws about what you can and can't do
Related Shifts
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