Careers > Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Detectives and Criminal Investigators

$86.28K Median Salary 8.4K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 2.5% Job Growth

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About This Career

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

Reported Job Titles

Crime Scene Investigator (CSI), Criminal Investigator, Detective, Fugitive Detective, Fugitive Investigator, Investigator, Narcotics Detective, Narcotics Investigator, Police Detective, Special Agent

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Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Inductive Reasoning

Oral Comprehension

Deductive Reasoning

Oral Expression

Problem Sensitivity

Written Comprehension

Information Ordering

Near Vision

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Written Expression

Category Flexibility

Far Vision

Flexibility of Closure

Fluency of Ideas

Speed of Closure

Perceptual Speed

Selective Attention

Time Sharing

Originality

Knowledge

Law and Government

Public Safety and Security

English Language

Customer and Personal Service

Psychology

Administrative

Computers and Electronics

Education and Training

Administration and Management

Communications and Media

Sociology and Anthropology

Personnel and Human Resources

Telecommunications

Skills

Active Listening

Speaking

Critical Thinking

Complex Problem Solving

Reading Comprehension

Social Perceptiveness

Judgment and Decision Making

Active Learning

Coordination

Service Orientation

Monitoring

Writing

Persuasion

Negotiation

Time Management

Technology Skills

Graphics or photo imaging software

Presentation software

Data base user interface and query software

Geographic information system

Electronic mail software

Office suite software

Analytical or scientific software

Spreadsheet software

Network monitoring software

Desktop publishing software

Operating system software

Word processing software

Internet browser software

Map creation software

Project management software

Process mapping and design software

Tools

Surveillance video or audio recorders

Handcuffs

Footprint lifters

Physiological recorders

Notebook computers

Handguns

Biological evidence collection kits

Mobile medical services first aid kits

Masks or accessories

Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles

Radarbased surveillance systems

Still cameras

Tape measures

Police or security shotguns

Bullet proof vests

Night sticks

Police vehicles

Military rifles

Hand sprayers

Infrared lamps

Body armour

Rulers

Gas generators

Flares

Alcohol analyzers

Goggles

Weapon or explosives detectors and supplies

Dictation machines

Fingerprint equipment

Riot batons

Narcotic test kits

Footwear covers

Fingerprint latent print kits

Digital camcorders or video cameras

Ultraviolet UV lamps

Measuring wheels for distance

Lasers

Hazardous material protective apparel

Binocular light compound microscopes

Two way radios

Instant print cameras

Riot helmets

Riot shields

Metal detectors

Digital cameras

Protective gloves

Desktop computers

Personal computers

Abilities

Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

Knowledge

Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Psychology: Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Administrative: Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Communications and Media: Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Sociology and Anthropology: Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Personnel and Human Resources: Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Telecommunications: Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Skills

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Technology Skills

Graphics or photo imaging software: SmugMug Flickr
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Geographic information system: ESRI ArcView; Geographic information system GIS systems
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Network monitoring software: Nagios; Wireshark
Desktop publishing software: Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign; Microsoft Publisher
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Internet browser software: Web browser software
Map creation software: ESRI Site Scan for ArcGIS; OpenDroneMap
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio

Tools

Surveillance video or audio recorders: Audio recording equipment
Handcuffs: Metal handcuffs; Plastic handcuffs
Footprint lifters: Electrostatic dust lifters; Impression casting kits
Physiological recorders: Motion analysis equipment
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Handguns: Service revolvers
Biological evidence collection kits:
Mobile medical services first aid kits: Emergency first aid kits
Masks or accessories: Dust masks
Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles: Automated external defibrillators AED
Radarbased surveillance systems: Radar navigation systems
Still cameras: 35 millimeter cameras
Tape measures: Diameter tape measures
Police or security shotguns: Police shotguns
Bullet proof vests: Bulletproof vests
Night sticks: Nightsticks
Police vehicles: Police bicycles; Police motorcycles; Police patrol cars
Military rifles: Police rifles
Hand sprayers: Spray guns
Infrared lamps: Infrared drying lamps
Body armour: Protective body armor
Rulers: Precision rulers; Steel rules
Gas generators: Power generators
Flares: Pyrotechnic distress signals
Alcohol analyzers: Breathalyzers
Goggles: Safety goggles
Weapon or explosives detectors and supplies: Explosive detection systems; Explosive trace portals
Dictation machines: Dictation equipment
Fingerprint equipment: Suspect fingerprinting equipment
Riot batons: Side-handle batons
Narcotic test kits: Drug testing kits
Footwear covers: Protective shoe covers
Fingerprint latent print kits: Fingerprint evidence kits
Digital camcorders or video cameras: Digital video cameras
Ultraviolet UV lamps: Inspection lamps
Measuring wheels for distance: Distance measuring wheels
Lasers: Fiber optic visual fault locators
Hazardous material protective apparel: Personal protective suits
Binocular light compound microscopes:
Two way radios:
Instant print cameras:
Riot helmets:
Riot shields:
Metal detectors: Rebar locators
Digital cameras:
Protective gloves: Safety gloves
Desktop computers:
Personal computers:

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