Detectives and Criminal Investigators

What the job really is

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

At a glance

• Sector: Protective Service
• O*NET-SOC code: 33-3021
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.
• Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.
• Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.
• Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.
• Prepare reports that detail investigation findings.
• Prepare charges or responses to charges, or information for court cases, according to formalized procedures.
• Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed.
• Obtain summary of incident from officer in charge at crime scene, taking care to avoid disturbing evidence.
• Note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene.
• Examine records and governmental agency files to find identifying data about suspects.
• Secure persons at scene, keeping witnesses from conversing or leaving the scene before investigators arrive.
• Provide information to lab personnel concerning the source of an item of evidence and tests to be performed.

Tools and technology

Adobe Photoshop, Linux, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Visio, Microsoft Word, SAS, Structured query language SQL, 35 millimeter cameras

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Private Detectives and Investigators
• Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
• Police Identification and Records Officers
• First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
• Intelligence Analysts
• Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts
• Forensic Science Technicians
• Coroners

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Detectives and Criminal Investigators — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.