JobAfterNext

Detectives and Criminal Investigators

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

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$93,790
Employment, U.S.114,430
Median hourly wage$45.09
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$55,390$69,330$93,790$120,520$160,540
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama1,340$66,2900.86
Alaska140$114,9400.58
Arizona5,250$102,3402.20
Arkansas560$54,5000.58
California12,610$124,8400.94
Colorado1,930$105,4800.91
Connecticut940$95,2400.75
Delaware140$122,0500.40
District of Columbia2,980$160,7605.78
Florida6,440$77,0600.88
Georgia5,070$65,4301.41
Hawaii440$113,9400.95
Idaho630$72,5201.00
Illinois3,270$91,1900.73
Indiana1,280$70,3400.54
Iowa410$79,5600.36
Kansas1,060$75,7401.00
Kentucky720$71,6700.49
Louisiana1,740$60,4501.22
Maine550$88,3101.17
Maryland1,010$126,7300.50
Massachusetts1,300$110,1500.49
Michigan2,220$90,6500.69
Minnesota1,970$80,0000.91
Mississippi810$58,6400.95
Missouri1,600$75,6500.74
Montana500$92,4101.32
Nebraska290$100,5300.38
Nevada590$94,4700.52
New Hampshire290$89,2900.58
New Jersey3,080$116,3000.98
New Mexico2,020$86,8403.15
New York9,600$101,2401.35
North Carolina3,360$63,2800.92
North Dakota420$82,2901.31
Ohio2,140$79,3000.52
Oklahoma1,220$80,4300.97
Oregon520$107,4500.36
Pennsylvania3,370$97,5800.76
Rhode Island360$88,4500.98
South Carolina1,470$62,7600.87
South Dakota250$77,7300.74
Tennessee1,860$77,0900.77
Texas18,870$90,5101.82
Utah550$78,9200.43
Vermont190$106,3300.85
Virginia3,180$112,7601.05
Washington1,850$115,7900.71
West Virginia220$92,4100.42
Wisconsin1,640$91,0400.76
Wyoming170$81,8800.82

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Customs and Border Protection Officers30.977
2Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers30.975
3First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives1-20.967
4Transit and Railroad Police30.965
5Private Detectives and Investigators30.956
6Retail Loss Prevention Specialists1-20.956
7Correctional Officers and Jailers1-20.956
8First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers30.954
9Police Identification and Records Officers30.954
10Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists40.953

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Detectives and Criminal Investigators, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
First-Line Supervisors of Security WorkersManagement of Personnel Resources1.500.942
Forensic Science TechniciansScience2.620.937
Airfield Operations SpecialistsOperations Monitoring1.000.928
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention SpecialistsManagement of Personnel Resources1.130.925
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesService Orientation1.000.925
CoronersScience2.870.923
Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationLearning Strategies1.000.923

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Detectives and Criminal Investigators, excluding software Detectives and Criminal Investigators already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Computer aided dispatch software3 of 2017.3x
Microsoft Windows7 of 201.3x
Database software5 of 201.4x
Facebook4 of 201.4x
Microsoft SharePoint3 of 200.8x
SAP software5 of 200.8x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.50 4.50
SpeakingEssential skill 4.25 4.12
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 4.12 4.12
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 4.12 4.12
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.00 4.12
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.88 3.75
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.88 3.75
WritingEssential skill 3.75 4.00
Active LearningEssential skill 3.75 3.62
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.62 3.62
MonitoringEssential skill 3.62 3.50
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.38 3.38
NegotiationTransferable skill 3.25 3.12
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.25 3.12
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.12 3.00
InstructingTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 2.88 3.00
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 2.75 2.75
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.38 2.25
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 2.25 2.00
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 2.12 1.75
MathematicsEssential skill 2.00 1.88
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 2.00 1.88
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.75 1.25
ScienceEssential skill 1.62 0.88
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.50 0.62
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.50 0.62
RepairingTransferable skill 1.50 0.62
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Law and Government 4.62 4.90
Public Safety and Security 4.49 5.59
Customer and Personal Service 4.20 5.51
Psychology 4.09 5.40
English Language 4.07 4.51
Education and Training 3.71 4.74
Computers and Electronics 3.36 4.57
Communications and Media 2.92 3.20
Geography 2.90 3.16
Sociology and Anthropology 2.87 3.21
Administrative 2.74 3.50
Therapy and Counseling 2.67 3.07
Telecommunications 2.67 2.04
Administration and Management 2.62 2.55
Transportation 2.40 2.41
Personnel and Human Resources 2.38 2.56
Foreign Language 2.30 2.31
Mathematics 2.06 2.13
Medicine and Dentistry 1.96 1.89
Philosophy and Theology 1.94 2.38
Biology 1.89 1.41
Production and Processing 1.72 1.25
Engineering and Technology 1.72 0.97
Physics 1.68 1.17
Chemistry 1.59 1.10
Economics and Accounting 1.58 1.17
Mechanical 1.42 0.86
Sales and Marketing 1.40not rated
History and Archeology 1.39not rated
Design 1.25not rated
Building and Construction 1.22not rated
Fine Arts 1.10not rated
Food Production 1.01not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Comprehension 4.38 4.38
Inductive Reasoning 4.38 4.25
Problem Sensitivity 4.25 4.50
Deductive Reasoning 4.25 4.38
Oral Expression 4.12 4.12
Written Comprehension 4.12 4.00
Written Expression 4.12 4.00
Flexibility of Closure 4.00 4.00
Information Ordering 4.00 4.00
Near Vision 4.00 4.00
Speech Clarity 4.00 3.88
Speech Recognition 3.88 3.88
Far Vision 3.75 3.75
Fluency of Ideas 3.62 4.00
Category Flexibility 3.62 3.75
Speed of Closure 3.50 3.75
Selective Attention 3.38 3.50
Originality 3.25 3.38
Perceptual Speed 3.25 3.25
Time Sharing 3.12 3.25
Memorization 3.00 3.00
Visualization 3.00 3.00
Reaction Time 2.88 3.00
Visual Color Discrimination 2.88 2.62
Static Strength 2.75 2.88
Auditory Attention 2.75 2.75
Explosive Strength 2.75 2.75
Response Orientation 2.62 2.88
Trunk Strength 2.62 2.75
Depth Perception 2.62 2.38
Spatial Orientation 2.62 2.38
Multilimb Coordination 2.62 2.00
Arm-Hand Steadiness 2.50 2.50
Night Vision 2.50 2.50
Manual Dexterity 2.50 2.38
Dynamic Strength 2.50 2.00
Peripheral Vision 2.38 2.50
Stamina 2.38 2.25
Rate Control 2.38 2.12
Control Precision 2.25 2.12
Number Facility 2.25 2.12
Mathematical Reasoning 2.25 2.00
Extent Flexibility 2.12 2.25
Finger Dexterity 2.12 2.00
Gross Body Coordination 2.12 2.00
Speed of Limb Movement 2.12 1.88
Gross Body Equilibrium 2.12 1.75
Wrist-Finger Speed 2.12 1.75
Glare Sensitivity 2.00 2.00
Hearing Sensitivity 2.00 1.75
Sound Localization 1.88 1.62
Dynamic Flexibility 1.50 0.50

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 36
  • National Integrated Ballistics Information Network NIBIN
  • SmartDraw Legal
  • The CAD Zone The Crime Zone
  • Trancite Logic Systems ScenePD
  • Visual Statement Vista FX3 CSI
  • Web browser software

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Eagle Pass, TX59042.42$91,560
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ73029.35$108,350
Laredo, TX1,41017.46$98,180
El Centro, CA77016.07$123,970
Yuma, AZ79015.51$94,520
Las Cruces, NM5609.57$106,330
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX8807.61$109,300
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX1,6007.34$103,380
El Paso, TX1,7907.16$109,300
Brunswick-St. Simons, GA2406.90$158,060

More metros, other thresholds