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Date: 03/10/2025

Private Detectives and Investigators

Gather, analyze, compile, and report information regarding individuals or organizations to clients, or detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishment.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Question persons to obtain evidence for cases of divorce, child custody, or missing persons or information about individuals' character or financial status.
    • Write reports or case summaries to document investigations.
    • Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax or legal filings, or other resources to locate persons or to compile information for investigations.
    • Investigate companies' financial standings, or locate funds stolen by embezzlers, using accounting skills.
    • Conduct private investigations on a paid basis.
    • Count cash and review transactions, sales checks, or register tapes to verify amounts or to identify shortages.
    • Testify at hearings or court trials to present evidence.
    • Confer with establishment officials, security departments, police, or postal officials to identify problems, provide information, or receive instructions.
    • Obtain and analyze information on suspects, crimes, or disturbances to solve cases, to identify criminal activity, or to gather information for court cases.
    • Alert appropriate personnel to suspects' locations.
    • Observe and document activities of individuals to detect unlawful acts or to obtain evidence for cases, using binoculars and still or video cameras.
    • Observe and document activities of individuals to detect unlawful acts or to obtain evidence for cases, using binoculars and still or video cameras.
    • Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax or legal filings, or other resources to locate persons or to compile information for investigations.
    • Perform undercover operations, such as evaluating the performance or honesty of employees by posing as customers or employees.
    • Expose fraudulent insurance claims or stolen funds.
    • Conduct personal background investigations, such as pre-employment checks, to obtain information about an individual's character, financial status, or personal history.

    Skills

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    3
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    Knowledge

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 53190/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 25.57/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 1,790
    • Yearly Projected Openings 170

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Conventional: People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Independence
    • Initiative
    • Persistence

    Tools

    • Binoculars
    • Biological evidence collection kits
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Digital voice recorders
    • Fingerprint latent print kits
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Handguns
    • Light enhancing cameras or vision devices
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Scanners
    • Still cameras
    • Telescopes

    Technology

    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Information retrieval or search software
    • Internet browser software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Web page creation and editing software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

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    Workforce Supply Tool

    Workforce Supply Tool

    The Workforce Supply Tool provides statistics for the occupations in highest demand throughout Ohio.

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