Alternative careers
Related career paths that build on similar skills and experience
Why it fits
Fits experienced investigators using case oversight, personnel coordination, procedures, training, public safety judgment, and reports.
Why it fits
Fits investigators with death-investigation exposure using evidence review, reports, legal procedures, scene facts, and testimony.
Why it fits
Transfers threat assessment, incident trends, security policies, mitigation planning, stakeholder coordination, and risk briefings.
Why it fits
Uses legal procedures, offender interviews, risk assessment, records, court communication, and case management.
Occupation snapshot
What does this snowflake show?
What's this?
We rate jobs using four factors. These are:
- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions
These are some key things to think about when job hunting.
Risk & user votes
Calculated automation risk
Minimal Risk (0-20%): This occupation appears difficult to replace end-to-end with current or near-future automation, including AI software and robotics. Roles in this range usually depend on human judgement, creativity, care, leadership, specialist expertise, or adapting to messy real-world situations. AI and machines may still change parts of the work, but the occupation is likely to remain a distinct human role.
More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.
Human strengths important in this job
These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.
Working directly with the public
Very importantWhy this matters
Decision-making and problem solving
Very importantWhy this matters
Assisting and caring for others
Quite importantWhy this matters
Thinking creatively
Quite importantWhy this matters
Persuasion
Quite importantWhy this matters
Show 5 more strengths
Coordinating others’ work
Quite importantWhy this matters
Developing objectives and strategies
Quite importantWhy this matters
Psychology knowledge
Quite importantWhy this matters
Active learning
Quite importantWhy this matters
Education and training expertise
Quite importantWhy this matters
What users think
Based on 416 votes
Our visitors have voted there's a low chance this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 15% chance of automation.
What do you think the risk of automation is?
What is the likelihood that Detectives and Criminal Investigators will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?
Sentiment
Based on user votes over time
View sentiment trend
How opinions have changed over time
Pay & outlook
Wages
In 2024, the median annual wage for Detectives and Criminal Investigators was $93,580 ($45 per hour).
The median annual wage for Detectives and Criminal Investigators was 89.1% higher than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.
View wage trend
Wages over time
Growth
The number of 'Detectives and Criminal Investigators' job openings is expected to decline 0.7% by 2034
View employment trend
Total employment, and estimated job openings
Updated projections are due 09-2025.
Volume
As of 2024 there were 110,790 people employed as 'Detectives and Criminal Investigators' within the United States.
This represents around 0.07% of the employed workforce across the country
Put another way, around 1 in 1 thousand people are employed as 'Detectives and Criminal Investigators'.
People also viewed
Job description
Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.
O*NET-SOC code: 33-3021.00
What people are saying (21)
An AI is programmed and can't process something out of its system. This is when a detective or CSI comes in. Basically, a human can understand another human being the most.
Reply to comment