| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Write reports or case summaries to document investigations. |
| Importance: 93 (%) | Description: Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax or legal filings, or other resources to locate persons or to compile information for investigations. |
| Importance: 90 (%) | Description: Testify at hearings or court trials to present evidence. |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Conduct personal background investigations, such as pre-employment checks, to obtain information about an individual's character, financial status, or personal history. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Obtain and analyze information on suspects, crimes, or disturbances to solve cases, to identify criminal activity, or to gather information for court cases. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Expose fraudulent insurance claims or stolen funds. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Conduct private investigations on a paid basis. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Observe and document activities of individuals to detect unlawful acts or to obtain evidence for cases, using binoculars and still or video cameras. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Confer with establishment officials, security departments, police, or postal officials to identify problems, provide information, or receive instructions. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Question persons to obtain evidence for cases of divorce, child custody, or missing persons or information about individuals' character or financial status. |
Protective Service Careers Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Protective Service Careers Jobs Matched Across 26 Careers - all on one page
Protective service careers safeguard people and property through law enforcement, emergency response, security, fire protection, and supervision. For people who want public-safety work that requires responsibility, judgment, and service under pressure. Use the tools below to compare related job titles, education requirements, growth, and career resources.
Here is a short Helper Video 
.
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Protective Service Careers careers/jobs, (2) Find Protective Service Careers job listings, (3) Prepare for matching Protective Service Careers careers, and (4) Provide Protective Service Careers career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Protective Service Careers careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Protective Service Careers Careers - 2023 to 2033 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Protective Service Careers careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Protective Service Careers, so relevant Protective Service Careers jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Protective Service Careers Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Protective Service Careers Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Protective Service Careers careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 907 Protective Service Careers Job Titles.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and work experience required
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job title selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
20 Protective Service Careers careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2023 to 2033 est.). Protective Service Careers-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2023-2033 (% change) | Protective Service Careers-Related Jobs |
26 Protective Service Careers careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Protective Service Careers-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Protective Service Careers-Related Jobs |
26 Protective Service Careers careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Protective Service Careers-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Protective Service Careers-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 907 specific Protective Service Careers job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Job Listings
.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
No selection made: Please make a selection from 1) SELECT A CAREER/JOB(at top of page)
Private Detectives and Investigators
Description: 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.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Private Detectives and Investigators":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
33,700U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
38,100
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
4,400 (13.2%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
3,500
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 59 (%) | Description: Alert appropriate personnel to suspects' locations. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Perform undercover operations, such as evaluating the performance or honesty of employees by posing as customers or employees. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Investigate companies' financial standings, or locate funds stolen by embezzlers, using accounting skills. |
| Importance: 30 (%) | Description: Count cash and review transactions, sales checks, or register tapes to verify amounts or to identify shortages. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 92 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 90 (%) | Description: Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Working with Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 80 (%) | Description: Communicating with People Outside the Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 77 (%) | Description: Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Balance receipts. | |
| Collaborate with law enforcement or security agencies to respond to incidents. | |
| Communicate situation details to appropriate personnel. | |
| Examine records or other types of data to investigate criminal activities. | |
| Interview people to obtain information about actions or status of individuals. | |
| Investigate crimes committed within organizations. | |
| Investigate personal characteristics or activities of individuals. | |
| Observe individuals' activities to gather information or compile evidence. | |
| Prepare investigation or incident reports. | |
| Record crime or accident scene evidence with video or still cameras. | |
| Testify at legal or legislative proceedings. | |
| Use databases to locate investigation details or other information. | |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance) These are the foundational skills that are most important for success in this occupation. For the most important Essential Skills, how can you begin building experience and practice so that you are prepared for this type of occupation? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Essential Skill: 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. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Essential Skill: Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Essential Skill: Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Essential Skill: Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Essential Skill: Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
| Importance: 56 (%) | Essential Skill: Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
| Importance: 56 (%) | Essential Skill: Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance) These are career-portable skills that can help you move between different jobs and industries. For the most important Transferable Skills, how can you start developing them now so they will open up more career options for you? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Transferable Skill: Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. |
| Importance: 58 (%) | Transferable Skill: Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
| Importance: 56 (%) | Transferable Skill: Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Coordinate activities with clients, agencies, or organizations. |
| Activity: Gather information from physical or electronic sources. |
| Activity: Interview people to obtain information. |
| Activity: Investigate criminal or legal matters. |
| Activity: Investigate individuals' background, behavior, or activities. |
| Activity: Notify others of emergencies or problems. |
| Activity: Present information in legal proceedings. |
| Activity: Reconcile financial data. |
| Activity: Record images with photographic or audiovisual equipment. |
| Activity: Record information about legal matters. |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: 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. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: 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. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: 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. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: 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. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: 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. |
Software Skills
| Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| High-Priority Tech Skills |
| Office suite software: |
| Microsoft Office software |
| Spreadsheet software: |
| Microsoft Excel |
| Word processing software: |
| Microsoft Word |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Data base user interface and query software: |
| Microsoft Access |
| Electronic mail software: |
| Microsoft Outlook |
| Operating system software: |
| Microsoft Windows |
| Presentation software: |
| Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Web page creation and editing software: |
| General Software Tools |
| Electronic mail software: |
| Email software |
| Graphics or photo imaging software: |
| Computer imaging software |
| Information retrieval or search software: |
| LexisNexis |
| Internet browser software: |
| Web browser software |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed |
| Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job. |
| Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. |
| Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations. |
| These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 37.7 (%) | Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 25.1 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 16.4 (%) | Level of Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 12.1 (%) | Level of Education: Some College Courses |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.5 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.3 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 27.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 25.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 22.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 8.5 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 10 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 6.6 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 years, up to and including 8 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 6.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 1.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 1.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 1.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Certifications
| Certifications These are examples of certifications that may be important for this occupation. How can you begin exploring which certifications fit your goals and what steps you would need to take to earn them? |
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Certified Protection Officer
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Job Listings
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles Scroll and click to see current job listings. How can you use these listings to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills you should highlight on your resume? |
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Private Detectives and Investigators". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Private Detectives and Investigators
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
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