What Does a Private Investigator Do? Tasks, Pay, Training

A private investigator interviews people to gather information, searches online, public and court records for civil judgments, criminal history and other evidence, conducts surveillance, writes reports on activities and findings, and shares results with clients. These five duties come from the BLS profile of private detectives and investigators, last modified August 27, 2026.

The work splits between an office, where records searches and reports happen, and the field. In the field, investigators work outdoors or from a vehicle in all kinds of weather. Most work full time, and schedules include early mornings, nights and weekends, especially during surveillance. Retail trade employs 34% of workers in the occupation (BLS, May 2025).

It is both: BLS lists surveillance as one of five duties, and the postings we cite each require a written report with video evidence. Two surveillance-investigator postings from one employer, Command Investigations LLC, show this. One was in Portland, Maine (removed July 24, 2025) and one in Spokane, Washington (removed November 12, 2025).

Both postings list surveillance duties: tracking subjects on foot and by vehicle, and recording them during their daily routines. Both also list report generation with video evidence and communication with the team about positioning and tactics. The requirements read like a field kit plus an office kit:

• age 21 or older and a high school diploma or equivalent
• a valid driver's license that passes a motor vehicle department and background check
• your own vehicle with dark tint
• a smartphone, a laptop with Microsoft Word, a digital video camera and a covert camera, meaning one made to record without being noticed

Shifts run 8 hours or more, with weekends, holidays and overtime, and starts as early as 5:00 a.m.

Two postings from one employer show what that employer asked for, not the whole market. BLS names patience during surveillance as an important quality, which fits the postings. Our recommendation: build report writing early. A client pays for findings they can rely on, and a long stakeout that is poorly documented produces nothing usable.

The BLS median wage for private detectives and investigators was $51,220 a year, or $24.62 an hour, in May 2025. The lowest 10% earned under $36,740 and the highest 10% earned over $97,630 (BLS). BLS projects 5% growth from 2025 to 2035, faster than average for all occupations, with about 3,200 openings a year.

Clients pay far more per hour than that wage. As of October 2026, three firms publish these rates on their own pricing pages:

• ACS Investigation Services (Michigan): $75 to $150 an hour, a retainer (an up-front deposit) of $500 to $2,000, and $600 to $1,000+ for a full day of surveillance.
• R&D Investigations Agency (Midwest): $100 to $150 an hour for standard work such as surveillance and interviews, $150 to $400+ for specialized work such as digital forensics and fraud, and a basic retainer of $1,000 to $3,000.
• Blue Systems International (California): $85 to $150 an hour for standard surveillance, $150 to $250+ for complex investigations, and a basic retainer of $1,000 to $3,000.

Our calculation: the standard hourly rates on these three pages run from $75 (lowest) to $150 (highest). Divided by the BLS median hourly wage, $75 ÷ $24.62 is about 3.05 and $150 ÷ $24.62 is about 6.09. Across these three firms' published rates, standard hourly pricing was about 3 to 6 times the BLS median hourly wage. This is our calculation from three regional pages, not a national average.

Do not read that ratio as an income forecast. The BLS figures leave out self-employed workers and business owners. Our reading is that a billing rate has to cover unbilled hours, a vehicle, insurance and license costs, so it is not an hourly wage.

In most states, yes. BLS states that most states require private detectives and investigators to be licensed, and tells candidates to check state and local requirements for age and experience. Confirm the rule for the place where you will work.

An agency job does not remove the question. Ask the employer whether the agency holds the license or you must hold your own.

Our state-by-state license requirements guide covers the rules by state. Minnesota is one example of a state with its own training step. Minnesota Rule 7506.2600 requires 12 hours of pre-assignment training within 21 days of starting work, from a board-certified program. Our Minnesota Pre-Assignment Course for Private Detectives/Investigators (course 102, 12 hours, $185 as of October 2026) is designed for this requirement. Confirm it on the Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services' list of certified programs, found through the board's rules and statutes page, before enrolling.

Learn the five duties as separate skills: interviewing and note-taking, records and background work, surveillance, report writing and testimony, all on a base of evidence law. We teach each as its own self-paced course with rolling access, so you can buy only what you need. Prices below are what a buyer in the United States pays as of October 2026.

Taking every course in the table costs $680 at these prices: seven $80 courses ($560) plus the $120 course. That is our arithmetic from the prices in our catalogue.

Our recommendation: start with 115 Legal Aspects, because the law limits what evidence you can collect. Build report writing second, because a client pays for the report. Legal Aspects of Private Investigation has seven chapters and a final exam. A certificate of completion is awarded once you finish the lessons and pass the assessments. As of October 2026 the course page names these states: Missouri, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, New Mexico, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Tennessee, North Carolina (6 continuing-education credits only), Oregon and Texas. Confirm acceptance with your board before enrolling, using our guide on whether a PI course counts in your state.

A certificate shows you completed training. The license comes from your state. For a full plan by situation, see our guide to what training a new private investigator needs.

Run these five checks before you enroll in a course or accept a job. Each has a pass and a fail.

Start with course 115, Legal Aspects of Private Investigation, then add report writing and the other skills as your state and employer require. Browse the full list in our course catalogue. For help choosing a course, call (706) 268-2221 or (832) 922-1215.