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Occupation AtlasDetectives and Criminal Investigators

O*NET · 33-3021.00

Detectives and Criminal Investigators

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

Also called Burglary Investigator · City Detective · Counter Intelligence Agent · Crime Analyst · Crime Investigator Special Agent · Criminal Analyst · Criminal Investigations Agent · Criminal Investigative Agent
50 more

Criminal Investigator · Criminal Investigator Special Agent · Criminal Profiler · Criminalist · CSI · CSI (Crime Scene Investigator) · Cyber Special Agent · Cybercrimes Investigator · Detective · Enforcement Agent · Field Agent · Financial Crimes Analyst · Financial Crimes Investigator · Fraud Investigator · Fugitive Detective · Fugitive Investigator · Gang Investigator · Homicide Detective · Homicide Investigator · Identification Officer · Intelligence Officer · Internal Affairs Investigator · Investigation Officer · Investigative Analyst · Investigative Specialist · Investigator · Law Enforcement Investigator · Law Enforcement Specialist · Major Case Detective · Missing Persons Investigator · Narcotics Agent · Narcotics Detective · Narcotics Investigator · Police Detective · Police Investigator · Profiler · Secret Service Agent · Sex Crimes Detective · Sharpshooter · Sheriff Detective · SIU Investigator · SIU Investigator (Special Investigation Unit Investigator) · Special Agent · Special Crimes Investigator · Special Investigator · Spy · Station Detective · Vice Detective · Vice Investigator · Violent Crimes Detective

Job Zone 3 — Medium Preparation NeededHolland code ICR35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed

Medium preparation. Vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with one to two years of training that combines experience and informal instruction.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

ICRInvestigative · Conventional · Realistic — the three strongest interests, in order

  • I Investigative4.90
  • C Conventional4.83
  • R Realistic4.18
  • E Enterprising4.04
  • S Social2.73
  • A Artistic1.20

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • High School Diploma or the equivalent23%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate26%
  • Some College Courses20%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree12%
  • Bachelor's Degree19%
Related work experience
None (32%)
On-site or in-plant training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (29%)
On-the-job training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (36%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Active Listeningbasic4.54.5Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Speakingbasic4.34.1Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Critical Thinkingbasic4.14.1Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Social Perceptiveness4.14.1Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Complex Problem Solving3.93.8Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.93.8Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Writingbasic3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Active Learningbasic3.83.6Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Coordination3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Monitoringbasic3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Persuasion3.43.4Level 4 looks like: Convince a supervisor to purchase new office equipment
Show the other 23

Tasks

30 core

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Prepare reports that detail investigation findings.4.8
  2. Obtain and verify evidence by interviewing and observing suspects and witnesses or by analyzing records.4.8
  3. Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.4.7
  4. Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed.4.7
  5. Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.4.6
  6. Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.4.6
  7. Note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene.4.6
  8. Analyze completed police reports to determine what additional information and investigative work is needed.4.6
  9. Search for and collect evidence, such as fingerprints, using investigative equipment.4.6
  10. Determine scope, timing, and direction of investigations.4.6
  11. Obtain summary of incident from officer in charge at crime scene, taking care to avoid disturbing evidence.4.5
  12. Examine records and governmental agency files to find identifying data about suspects.4.5
Show the other 18
  1. Secure persons at scene, keeping witnesses from conversing or leaving the scene before investigators arrive.4.5
  2. Prepare and serve search and arrest warrants.4.5
  3. Question individuals or observe persons and establishments to confirm information given to patrol officers.4.5
  4. Identify case issues and evidence needed, based on analysis of charges, complaints, or allegations of law violations.4.5
  5. Participate or assist in raids and arrests.4.5
  6. Organize scene search, assigning specific tasks and areas of search to individual officers and obtaining adequate lighting as necessary.4.5
  7. Testify before grand juries concerning criminal activity investigations.4.5
  8. Examine records to locate links in chains of evidence or information.4.5
  9. Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.4.4
  10. Prepare charges or responses to charges, or information for court cases, according to formalized procedures.4.4
  11. Provide information to lab personnel concerning the source of an item of evidence and tests to be performed.4.4
  12. Summon medical help for injured individuals and alert medical personnel to take statements from them.4.4
  13. Block or rope off scene and check perimeter to ensure that entire scene is secured.4.4
  14. Collaborate with other offices and agencies to exchange information and coordinate activities.4.4
  15. Notify, or request notification of, medical examiner or district attorney representative.4.3
  16. Maintain surveillance of establishments to obtain identifying information on suspects.4.3
  17. Notify command of situation and request assistance.4.2
  18. Perform undercover assignments and maintain surveillance, including monitoring authorized wiretaps.4.1

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Law and Government4.64.9Level 4 looks like: Prepare documents and title papers for the purchase of a new house
  • Public Safety and Security4.55.6
  • Customer and Personal Service4.25.5Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • English Language4.14.5Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Psychology4.15.4Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Education and Training3.74.7Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Computers and Electronics3.44.6Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Communications and Media2.93.2Level 4 looks like: Host a music radio show
Show all 33
  • Geography2.93.2Level 4 looks like: Find a specific country on a world map
  • Sociology and Anthropology2.93.2Level 4 looks like: Write an article about cultural differences
  • Administrative2.73.5Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Telecommunications2.72.0Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Therapy and Counseling2.73.1Level 4 looks like: Provide job counseling to the unemployed
  • Administration and Management2.62.6
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.42.6
  • Transportation2.42.4Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Foreign Language2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Mathematics2.12.1Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Medicine and Dentistry2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Biology1.91.4Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Philosophy and Theology1.92.4Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Engineering and Technology1.71.0Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Physics1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Production and Processing1.71.3Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Chemistry1.61.1Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Economics and Accounting1.61.2Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • History and Archeology1.4—
  • Mechanical1.40.9Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Sales and Marketing1.4—
  • Design1.3—
  • Building and Construction1.2—
  • Fine Arts1.1—
  • Food Production1.0—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Inductive Reasoning4.44.3Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Oral Comprehension4.44.4Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Deductive Reasoning4.34.4Level 5 looks like: Decide what factors to consider in selecting stocks
  • Problem Sensitivity4.34.5Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Oral Expression4.14.1Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Written Comprehension4.14.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Written Expression4.14.0Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Flexibility of Closure4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Look for a golf ball in tall grass
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  • Information Ordering4.04.0Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Near Vision4.04.0Level 5 looks like: Read the fine print of a legal document
  • Speech Clarity4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Speech Recognition3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Far Vision3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Read the slides on a presentation from across a room
  • Category Flexibility3.63.8Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Fluency of Ideas3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Speed of Closure3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Make sense of messy handwriting
  • Selective Attention3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Watch security monitors for intruders throughout the night shift
  • Originality3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Perceptual Speed3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Read five pressure indicators in 10 seconds to make sure each is within safe limits
  • Time Sharing3.13.3Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Memorization3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Recite the first names of the five people you just met
  • Visualization3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Reaction Time2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.92.6
  • Auditory Attention2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Explosive Strength2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Hit a nail with a hammer
  • Static Strength2.82.9
  • Depth Perception2.62.4Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Multilimb Coordination2.62.0Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Response Orientation2.62.9Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Spatial Orientation2.62.4Level 2 looks like: Use the floor plan to locate a store in a mall
  • Trunk Strength2.62.8Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.52.5Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Dynamic Strength2.52.0Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Manual Dexterity2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Night Vision2.52.5Level 2 looks like: Read street signs at dusk (just after sunset)
  • Peripheral Vision2.42.5Level 2 looks like: Keep in step while marching in a band
  • Rate Control2.42.1Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Stamina2.42.3Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Control Precision2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.32.0Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Number Facility2.32.1Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Extent Flexibility2.12.3Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Finger Dexterity2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Gross Body Coordination2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Speed of Limb Movement2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Saw through a thin piece of wood
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Glare Sensitivity2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Drive on a familiar road on a cloudy day
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Sound Localization1.91.6Level 2 looks like: Listen to a sound system to determine which speaker is working
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.50.5

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.96.2Level 7 looks like: Make the final decision about a company's 5-year plan
  • Analyzing Data or Information4.85.9
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.75.4Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.76.0Level 7 looks like: Maintain information about the use of satellites for industry communications
  • Getting Information4.75.3Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.75.9
  • Thinking Creatively4.75.8
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.75.9
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  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People4.65.7
  • Processing Information4.65.7
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.55.5Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.45.6
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.45.8
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.45.4Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.35.5Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others4.35.5Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.25.2Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.24.8Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Assisting and Caring for Others4.15.3Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies4.15.1Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Working with Computers4.14.2Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates4.05.0Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Drive an 18-wheel tractor-trailer
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.94.7Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Training and Teaching Others3.95.0Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.74.6Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.54.1Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.54.5Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Selling or Influencing Others3.54.1Level 4 looks like: Make a sales pitch to convince others to buy a product
  • Developing and Building Teams3.44.3Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.34.0Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.14.1Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.03.6Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.72.8
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.72.8
  • Handling and Moving Objects2.63.1Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment2.62.8
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment2.52.7
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.01.8Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General5.0
  • E-Mail5.0
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate5.0
  • Telephone Conversations5.0
  • Contact With Others4.9
  • In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.9
  • Consequence of Error4.8
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.8
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.8
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8

Technology

36 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (2)

  • Microsoft Excelhot
  • Microsoft Office softwarehot

Hot (9; 2 more marked hot above)

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Linux
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Word
  • SAS
  • Structured query language SQL
Other tools (25)
  • AccessData FTK
  • Case management software
  • Computer aided composite drawing software
  • Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
  • Crime mapping software
  • DataWorks Plus Digital CrimeScene
  • DeChant Consulting Services iWitness
  • DesignWare 3D EyeWitness
  • Digital Image Management Solutions Crime Scene
  • Email software
  • Eos Systems PhotoModeler
  • ESRI ArcView
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Graphics software
  • Guidance Software EnCase Enterprise
  • Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS
  • Law enforcement information databases
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database
  • 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

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Private Detectives and Investigators
  2. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
  3. Police Identification and Records Officers
  4. First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
  5. Intelligence Analysts
  6. Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts
  7. Forensic Science Technicians
  8. Coroners
  9. Transit and Railroad Police
  10. Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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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. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.