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Detectives

Employment Prospects

Employers

There are 113,400 police detectives and criminal investigators and 38,800 private detectives and investigators employed in the United States. Police detectives work for police departments or other government agencies. Private investigators usually work for a private detective firm or for a business.

Starting Out

If you are interested in becoming a detective, you should contact your local police department, the civil service office or examining board, or private detective agencies in your area to determine hiring practices and any special requirements. Newspapers may list available jobs. If you earn a college degree in police science, criminal justice, or law enforcement, you may benefit from your institution's career services or guidance office. Some police academies accept candidates not sponsored by a police department, and for some people this may be the best way to enter police work.