What are the pros and cons of being a detective?

The pros and cons of being a detective include ones relating to helping people, dangerous working conditions, and salary. Here is a look at the pros and cons of being a detective: Pros: You get to help people

What degree do you need to be a detective?

You need a two-year associate's or a four-year bachelor's degree to be a detective. Whether you need a two-year or four-year degree depends largely on the department. Specific educational requirements vary from one police department to the next.

What is the difference between a detective and a criminal investigator?

The difference between a detective and a criminal investigator is that detectives work on cases involving homicides and felonies, while criminal investigators work on a range of criminal and civil cases, such as fraud and missing persons.

What should I study to become a detective?

You should study criminal justice to become a detective. Other degrees you can earn and courses you should take to become a detective include criminology and sociology. Advanced degrees, such as a master's, are not required, but can help those that want to become detectives compete for the best positions.

How To Become A Detective: What It Is and Career Path

What is a detective and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Wesley Jennings,

Jodi Gill

A detective researches and finds evidence to help solve criminal cases and investigate possible criminal or deviant activity. They may need to respond to emergency calls at any hour of the day and make arrests. They also gather evidence from the crime scene and process it to use in a criminal case. They communicate with a variety of people and organizations, such as law enforcement, emergency personnel, and the public.

As a detective, your duties will include gathering facts and collecting evidence for possible criminal cases or clients. You'll also determine which people and pieces of information are credible by conducting interviews, examining records, and observing suspects. Once you have your case built, you'll participate in raids and arrests, which will lead to writing detailed reports on findings and testifying in court. Essential skills include problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, ethical behavior, attention to detail, and flexibility. Most individuals can qualify for the position with a high school diploma or GED; however, a bachelor's degree in criminal studies or law may be given preference.

The average annual salary for a detective is $49,204. The career is expected to grow 5% in the near future, which will create various job opportunities across the United States.

What general advice would you give to a Detective?

Wesley Jennings

Gillespie Distinguished Scholar, Chair, & Professor, University of Mississippi

Some of the best advice I can provide for recent graduates who are beginning their career in the criminal justice field is to focus on active networking and professional development. This can be pursued through attendance at professional conferences/events, workshops, social media engagement, internships, etc. This will ensure that you are always up-to-date on what is going on in your career field, and permit you the ability to take advantage of opportunities for growth, promotion, and career advancement.

ScoreDetectiveUS Average

Salary

4.5

Avg. Salary $57,984

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.1

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 2.82%

Black or African American 11.76%

Hispanic or Latino 16.74%

Unknown 4.99%

White 63.03%

Gender

female 17.33%

male 82.67%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress Level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.9

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.3

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a detective

Explore detective education requirements

Most common detective degrees

Bachelor's

54.2 %

Associate

23.6 %

High School Diploma

7.9 %

Start to develop specific detective skills

Skills	Percentages
Physical Evidence	14.86%
Patrol	12.65%
Law Enforcement Agencies	8.13%
Crime Scenes	5.47%
Insurance Fraud	4.73%

Complete relevant detective training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New detectives learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a detective based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real detective resumes.

Research detective duties and responsibilities

Manage all ABC issues and applications for liquor licenses.
Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Monitor wire taps and conduct detailed surveillance of wire tap targets and associates.
Sole provider of data gathering from TIGTA's complaint management system and the IRS for biweekly phishing scam reports.

Prepare your detective resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your detective resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a detective resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Detective Resume templates

Build a professional Detective resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Detective resume.

Apply for detective jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a detective job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do detectives rate their job?

5/5

Out of 1 Detective reviews, 100% were positive.

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Based On 1 Ratings

Pay / Salary

2.0

Work/Life Balance

4.0

Overall Rating

5.0

Career Growth

3.0

Detective reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2023

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Cons

The pay is not worth what you have to do sometimes

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019