Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security · Law Enforcement Services
Pay and outlook shown for
New workers start near $52,440; experienced workers reach $138,110. About 1,670 people do this job in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
Job outlook
Alamo region (San Antonio and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034; U.S. figures from the BLS.
- Employment change
- +4.9%
- Openings a year
- 122
- Employed in 2024
- 1,666
Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent · Experience: Less than 5 years · Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Alamo Colleges programs that lead here
6 programs, with the college that teaches each.
Skills this career uses
The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.
- Active Listening4.4
- Speaking4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Active Learning3.4
What the work is
Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.
- Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.
- Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.
- Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.
- Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.
- Prepare charges or responses to charges, or information for court cases, according to formalized procedures.
- Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed.
Education people in this job have
Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.
- High school or less32%
- Certificate20%
- Some college18%
- Associate degree20%
- Bachelor's degree10%
Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.
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