Conducts interviews and checks records to determine whether people are suitable for security clearances and sensitive government jobs. BLS does not publish separate figures for private detectives and investigators; it counts them within private detective and investigator (SOC 33-9021), whose median pay is $51,220 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 33-9021
- Protective Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Background Investigator in four numbers
- Median pay
- $51,220a year, or $24.62/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $37KTop 10% $98K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.5%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,20039,500 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202539.5K
- Projected 203541.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 39.5K Projected 2035 41.7K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school25.1%
- Certificate4.3%
- Some college12.1%
- Associate's16.4%
- Bachelor's37.7%
- Post-bacc certificate4.5%
Highest education held by private detectives and investigators Segment Value High school 25.1% Certificate 4.3% Some college 12.1% Associate's 16.4% Bachelor's 37.7% Post-bacc certificate 4.5%
Also advertised as: Federal Background Investigator, Security Clearance Investigator, Personnel Security Investigator, Field Investigator, Background Investigations.
Pay
How much do Private Detectives and Investigators make?
Every background investigator in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$51,220
Middle half earn $40,700 to $73,990
- 10th
- $36,740
- 25th
- $40,700
- 75th
- $73,990
- 90th
- $97,630
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $36,740 |
| 25th | $40,700 |
| Median | $51,220 |
| 75th | $73,990 |
| 90th | $97,630 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $51,220
- Median hourly wage
- $24.62/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $60,150
- People employed
- 35,580
Versus all US occupations
At $51,220, the median for Private Detectives and Investigators sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus protective service occupations
Inside the Protective Service group, where the middle occupation pays $74,060, this is 31% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $97,630 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,740, a gap of 2.7×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 24% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Oregon pays the most at $76,480, and still leads at $73,993 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Private Detectives and Investigators the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Oregon | $76,480 | $73,993 | 610 |
| 2Connecticut | $75,010 | $72,396 | 400 |
| 3District of Columbia | $72,720 | $66,169 | N/A |
| 4Vermont | $67,910 | $69,326 | 90 |
| 5New Hampshire | $65,370 | $62,756 | 280 |
| 6Washington | $64,080 | $59,881 | 750 |
| 7California | $61,250 | $55,320 | 4,190 |
| 8Arizona | $61,030 | $60,620 | 790 |
| 9Illinois | $60,210 | $60,235 | 1,300 |
| 10New York | $59,140 | $54,799 | 1,300 |
Job outlook
Is Background Investigator a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Private Detectives and Investigators | +5.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Private Detectives and Investigators to change 5.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 2,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,200 openings are projected each year, 8.1% of the 39,500 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Background Investigator
Many federal and contractor roles accept a bachelor's degree in place of experience at entry level, and backgrounds in law enforcement, military service, criminal justice or political science are common. Investigators must obtain and keep a security clearance themselves.
New investigators complete federal investigator training, such as the Federal Background Investigator Training Program, and must pass written and practical tests before working cases alone. Contractor firms hire throughout the year and often require DCSA credentials or the ability to obtain them, which makes this an accessible door into federal security work.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as private detectives and investigators.
- Bachelor's Degree37.7%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)25.1%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree16.4%
- Some College Courses12.1%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate4.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 37.7% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 25.1% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 16.4% |
| Some College Courses | 12.1% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 4.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Background Investigator do?
Background investigators gather the facts that clearance decisions rest on. For each case, they interview the applicant in depth, then interview supervisors, coworkers, neighbors, references and sometimes former spouses. They check employment, education, criminal, court, financial and residence records.
Investigators look for issues such as foreign contacts, debt, drug or alcohol problems, or dishonesty, and follow up on anything that does not add up. They do not decide who gets a clearance; they write detailed, neutral reports for adjudicators. Most work is for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, which handles the bulk of federal background investigations, either directly or through contractors.
Day-to-day tasks
- Conduct in-depth interviews with clearance applicants
- Interview references, supervisors, coworkers and neighbors
- Check employment, education, court and police records
- Review credit and financial information for issues
- Follow up on discrepancies and develop additional sources
- Write detailed, objective investigative reports
- Manage a caseload to meet completion deadlines
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Investigators usually cover a territory, driving to interviews at homes, offices, schools and courthouses, and writing reports from home or a field office. Some assignments involve temporary travel. The work is independent, deadline driven and heavy on writing, with quotas for completed cases.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Writing3.6
- Active Learning3.4
- Monitoring3.4
- Learning Strategies2.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Social Perceptiveness3.5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Coordination3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Persuasion2.9
- Negotiation2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 2.9 |
| Negotiation | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Background Investigator?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code CSE) built on O*NET's Private Detective and Investigator profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Background Investigator |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Conventional5.6
- Enterprising4.3
- Investigative3.9
- Social3.6
- Realistic2.4
- Artistic1.4
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Background Investigator
O*NET related occupations
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
- Business and Financial Operations
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
Police Identification and Records Officer
$93,790median a year
Most earn $55K to $161K
+0.2%High school - Protective Service
More protective service careers
Median annual pay, with private detectives and investigators highlighted
- Detective and Criminal Investigator$93,790
- Intelligence Analyst$93,790
- Police Officer$76,210
- Custom and Border Protection Officer$76,210
- Firefighter$59,280
- Correctional Officer and Jailer$58,940
- Private Detective and Investigator$51,220
- Background Investigator$51,220
- Security Guard$38,020
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $93,790 |
| Intelligence Analyst | $93,790 |
| Police Officer | $76,210 |
| Custom and Border Protection Officer | $76,210 |
| Firefighter | $59,280 |
| Correctional Officer and Jailer | $58,940 |
| Private Detective and Investigator | $51,220 |
| Background Investigator | $51,220 |
| Security Guard | $38,020 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Background Investigator appears on
Questions
Background Investigator: frequently asked questions
How much do Private Detectives and Investigators make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for private detectives and investigators. It counts them within private detective and investigator, whose median pay is $51,220 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $40,700 and $73,990, and the top 10% earn $97,630 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Background Investigator?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Private Detectives and Investigators, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as some preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 37.7% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Background Investigator a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.5% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Background Investigator do?
Background investigators gather the facts that clearance decisions rest on. A typical task: conduct in-depth interviews with clearance applicants. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Private Detectives and Investigators the most?
The highest state medians for Private Detectives and Investigators are Oregon ($76,480), Connecticut ($75,010), District of Columbia ($72,720) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Background Investigator?
O*NET scores Private Detectives and Investigators highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.