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-SOC code
33-9021.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$51,220
Employment, U.S.35,580
Median hourly wage$24.62
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $36,740 | $40,700 | $51,220 | $73,990 | $97,630 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 530 | $46,810 | 1.10 |
| Alaska | 70 | $53,440 | 0.97 |
| Arizona | 790 | $61,030 | 1.07 |
| Arkansas | 370 | $47,750 | 1.23 |
| California | 4,190 | $61,250 | 1.01 |
| Colorado | 540 | $48,730 | 0.82 |
| Connecticut | 400 | $75,010 | 1.03 |
| Delaware | 110 | $55,710 | 1.01 |
| District of Columbia | $72,720 | ||
| Florida | 3,660 | $50,640 | 1.61 |
| Georgia | 1,460 | $45,060 | 1.30 |
| Hawaii | 70 | $45,750 | 0.46 |
| Idaho | 210 | $47,910 | 1.09 |
| Illinois | 1,300 | $60,210 | 0.93 |
| Indiana | 480 | $41,830 | 0.66 |
| Iowa | 170 | $41,110 | 0.48 |
| Kansas | 280 | $45,260 | 0.86 |
| Kentucky | 350 | $47,650 | 0.76 |
| Louisiana | 860 | $41,950 | 1.94 |
| Maine | 210 | $43,830 | 1.40 |
| Maryland | 560 | Not available | 0.89 |
| Massachusetts | 280 | $50,240 | 0.34 |
| Michigan | 850 | $48,650 | 0.85 |
| Minnesota | 600 | $57,880 | 0.88 |
| Mississippi | 330 | $39,060 | 1.22 |
| Missouri | 590 | $41,600 | 0.87 |
| Montana | 70 | $47,430 | 0.56 |
| Nebraska | 160 | $51,750 | 0.69 |
| Nevada | 350 | Not available | 0.98 |
| New Hampshire | 280 | $65,370 | 1.81 |
| New Jersey | 410 | $54,710 | 0.42 |
| New Mexico | $41,600 | ||
| New York | 1,300 | $59,140 | 0.59 |
| North Carolina | 1,710 | $52,890 | 1.51 |
| North Dakota | 60 | $44,310 | 0.56 |
| Ohio | 1,560 | $47,200 | 1.23 |
| Oklahoma | 370 | $39,680 | 0.96 |
| Oregon | 610 | $76,480 | 1.35 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,220 | $51,200 | 0.88 |
| Rhode Island | 60 | $54,620 | 0.49 |
| South Carolina | 620 | $51,530 | 1.17 |
| South Dakota | 60 | $44,840 | 0.56 |
| Tennessee | 940 | $49,360 | 1.26 |
| Texas | 3,220 | $51,810 | 1.00 |
| Utah | 350 | $57,910 | 0.89 |
| Vermont | 90 | $67,910 | 1.28 |
| Virginia | 1,280 | $56,160 | 1.36 |
| Washington | 750 | $64,080 | 0.92 |
| West Virginia | 170 | $46,410 | 1.03 |
| Wisconsin | 410 | $41,850 | 0.61 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $54,310 | 0.56 |
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.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compliance Officers | 4 | 0.971 |
| 2 | Intelligence Analysts | 4 | 0.967 |
| 3 | Compliance Managers | 4 | 0.965 |
| 4 | Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | 4 | 0.960 |
| 5 | Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners | 4 | 0.959 |
| 6 | Customs and Border Protection Officers | 3 | 0.959 |
| 7 | Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers | 4 | 0.957 |
| 8 | Document Management Specialists | 4 | 0.957 |
| 9 | Retail Loss Prevention Specialists | 1-2 | 0.957 |
| 10 | Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 3 | 0.956 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Private Detectives and 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.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loan Interviewers and Clerks | Mathematics | 1.00 | 0.951 |
| Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents | Mathematics | 1.13 | 0.946 |
| Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.00 | 0.946 |
| Customs Brokers | Learning Strategies | 0.88 | 0.941 |
| Brokerage Clerks | Mathematics | 1.38 | 0.940 |
| Concierges | Service Orientation | 1.12 | 0.939 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Private Detectives and Investigators, excluding software Private Detectives and 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.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database | 4 of 20 | 16.8x |
| Records management software | 3 of 20 | 19.8x |
| Microsoft Dynamics | 7 of 20 | 2.7x |
| Enterprise application integration EAI software | 3 of 20 | 9.2x |
| Document management system software | 3 of 20 | 8.7x |
| Database software | 8 of 20 | 2.2x |
| Microsoft SharePoint | 8 of 20 | 2.2x |
| Google Workspace software | 3 of 20 | 5.3x |
| Microsoft Publisher | 5 of 20 | 2.5x |
| Corel WordPerfect Office Suite | 4 of 20 | 2.9x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 4.12 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.38 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.25 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 4.21 | 4.53 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.16 | 4.77 |
| Law and Government | 4.02 | 4.22 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.56 | 4.09 |
| Administrative | 3.55 | 4.46 |
| Administration and Management | 3.50 | 3.56 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.44 | 3.48 |
| Psychology | 3.31 | 3.70 |
| Communications and Media | 2.78 | 2.80 |
| Education and Training | 2.65 | 3.30 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.56 | 2.70 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.54 | 2.79 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.45 | 2.20 |
| Telecommunications | 2.41 | 1.62 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.40 | 2.29 |
| Mathematics | 2.35 | 2.26 |
| Transportation | 2.18 | 2.09 |
| Geography | 2.07 | 1.93 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.96 | 2.13 |
| Foreign Language | 1.71 | 1.61 |
| History and Archeology | 1.61 | 1.02 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.60 | 1.25 |
| Production and Processing | 1.58 | 0.99 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.49 | 1.12 |
| Mechanical | 1.45 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.43 | not rated |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.41 | 0.83 |
| Design | 1.36 | 0.90 |
| Fine Arts | 1.33 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.30 | not rated |
| Chemistry | 1.30 | 0.64 |
| Physics | 1.20 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.07 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.12 | 4.12 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Near Vision | 4.00 | 3.75 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Written Expression | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Information Ordering | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Selective Attention | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Far Vision | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Originality | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Control Precision | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Number Facility | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Visualization | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Depth Perception | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Memorization | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Response Orientation | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Reaction Time | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Sound Localization | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Rate Control | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Night Vision | 1.50 | 0.88 |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Static Strength | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.25 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.12 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft Word in demand
- Facebook hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Computer imaging software
- Email software
- LexisNexis
- 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 area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | 180 | 4.28 | $81,070 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 120 | 2.84 | $56,510 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 860 | 2.78 | $73,430 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 250 | 2.49 | $43,500 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 120 | 2.46 | $59,350 |
| Lafayette, LA | 100 | 2.46 | $39,800 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 230 | 2.41 | $44,810 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | 100 | 2.25 | $70,780 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 310 | 2.24 | $99,680 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 130 | 2.08 | $39,690 |