Occupational Outlook for Private Detectives and Investigators

For those of you considering a career as a P. I., according to the occupational outlook for Private Detectives and Investigators from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics the field of investigations is growing at a rate of 18%.

Here are highlights from the United States Department of Labor website:

Significant Points

• Work hours are often irregular, and the work can be dangerous.
• About 30 percent are self-employed.
• Applicants typically have related experience in areas such as law enforcement, insurance, the military, or government investigative or intelligence jobs.
• Keen competition is expected for most jobs despite faster-than-average employment growth.

Job Outlook

Keen competition is expected for most jobs despite faster-than-average employment growth.

Employment change. Employment of private detectives and investigators is expected to grow 18 percent over the 2006-16 decade, faster than the average for all occupations. Increased demand for private detectives and investigators will result from heightened security concerns, increased litigation, and the need to protect confidential information and property of all kinds. The proliferation of criminal activity on the Internet, such as identity theft, spamming, e-mail harassment, and illegal downloading of copyrighted materials, will also increase the demand for private investigators. Employee background checks, conducted by private investigators, will become standard for an increasing number of jobs. Growing financial activity worldwide will increase the demand for investigators to control internal and external financial losses, to monitor competitors, and to prevent industrial spying.

Job prospects. Keen competition is expected for most jobs because private detective and investigator careers attract many qualified people, including relatively young retirees from law enforcement and military careers. The best opportunities for new jobseekers will be in entry-level jobs in detective agencies or stores, particularly large chain and discount stores that hire detectives on a part-time basis. Opportunities are expected to be excellent for qualified computer forensic investigators.

Projections Data

Title	SOC Code	2006	Projected 2016	Change		Statistics
				Number	Percent
Private Detectives and Investigators	33-9021	52,000	61,000	9,400	18	PDF
NOTE: Data in this table are rounded. See the discussion of the employment projections table in the Handbook introductory chapter on Occupational Information Included in the Handbook.

Earnings

Median annual earnings of salaried private detectives and investigators were $33,750 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $24,180 and $47,740. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,720, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $64,380. Earnings of private detectives and investigators vary greatly by employer, specialty, and geographic area.

To read read more about the topics in the list below, go to the BLS website: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos157.htm

• Nature of the Work
• Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
• Employment
• Job Outlook
• Projections Data
• Earnings
• OES Data
• Related Occupations
• Sources of Additional Information