What Education is Required to Become a Private Investigator?

Becoming a private investigator is a unique and exciting experience that requires stamina, common sense, and an investigative mind. A frequently asked question is either how to become a private investigator or what education is required to become a private investigator. And that is the question we are going to answer now.

The education required to become a private investigator generally speaking is a high school diploma in the United States. 

While the barrier to entering the private investigation industry is low, more experience will be required if one wants to start their own investigation business.  In this article, we will cover when additional education will be needed.  

What is The Best Degree to Get as a Private Investigator?

While a degree is not required to become a private investigator and work for an investigation company, there are some degrees you may want to consider as a private investigator to help you in your career path.

• A Criminal Justice Degree
• An Accounting Degree
• A Business Degree

Will a Degree Help You Get Hired With a Private Investigation Company?

As you search for private investigator job opportunities there will be a variety of experience and education private investigation companies will ask that you have when applying for a position. 

Some Investigation Companies will Require a Degree

In some cases, an investigation position with a company will require a Bachelor’s Degree in combination with experience or even security clearances (depending on some of the contracts the company has).

If you are thinking about getting into the investigation business, this isn’t the first place I would look and I wouldn’t run out to get a degree right away as there are lower barriers to entry than businesses that require a degree.

Some of the companies that require degrees, experience, and even a security clearance, do not pay enough to justify those requirements.

Recently I found an investigation company that was asking for all those things but would only pay $25 an hour which is not a competitive wage considering the request.  There are folks who work in fast food that make $20 an hour starting with no degree.  You should be understandably concerned at such a request for the experience.  

Will a Degree Help You Start Your Own Private Investigation Company?

One of the first things you will want to do if you haven’t already done so is to determine the requirements needed to start your own private investigation agency in the state you would like to work.  If you are not in the United States, this will still apply to you as your area may have specific experience or education requirements that need to be fulfilled.

Requirements across the United States vary however many states will substitute some experience requirements if a person has a degree. 

If you already have a degree, this will come in handy however it may not make sense to spend the money to get a degree if it only shaves off a small amount of experience needed to start a business. 

Ongoing Education Recommended for Private Investigators

Ongoing education is highly recommended for private investigators, especially if wanting to move up within an investigation company or to be better at the art of investigation.  Some locations (states) will require ongoing education to maintain a private investigation agency license or investigation license. If you want to know the importance of ongoing education I discuss it more in length here.

Personal Development for Private Investigators

Personal development is probably one of the most needed educational components for private investigators and yet I have found it to be the least focused on over the span of my investigation career. 

Personal Development helps you to see yourself honestly and objectively. You become more self-aware of your interaction with others and the world around you.

Investigators who pursue personal development see their skills improve. There is an old saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” As you continue to learn how to communicate better, understand people and understand yourself, you will respond to circumstances differently and in a more productive way. 

Learning skills that can improve you as a private investigator can be through books, videos, seminars, mentorships, and podcasts.  This education doesn’t have to be an expensive one, but it is one that I believe helps investigators move up in their careers faster than traditional, formal education (Aka College). 

Personal development also helps you to be more confident. As you grow in your skill set and mindset, you will want to move up and do bigger things. You will want to take on more responsibility.

Personal development tied with emotional intelligence will help you understand the people you interview during the course of investigative work, the people you manage, and your peers. And the better you can understand people, the better time you will have communicating and building trust with them. 

Certifications for Private Investigators

There are tons of certifications investigators can earn to help them move along in their careers. As you seek no job opportunities and interact with more investigators, you will hear about certifications you might not have previously heard of and you may consider them to see if they are a good fit for the career path you are pursuing.

There are a couple of certifications that I would look into for improving your interview skills. One fo those certifications would be associated with an interviewing certification from Wicklander-Zulawski and Associates.  

Another certification one might want to pursue is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). Insurance investigation companies are always looking for investigators with this certification on their teams. It might not be a requirement to be hired but companies love telling their clients how educated they are.

While entry to becoming a private investigator is relatively low, an investigator should not stop seeking self-improvement. No one ever said they didn’t move up in the world by doing too much work on themselves.