Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Protective Service · SOC 33-3021
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 33-3021 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 3.7%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 48/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $93,790
- H-1B offered wage $71,053; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 7,500
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -0.7%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 5
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 7,547 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~39.7% of this role but only ~3.7% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.
Common titles: Crime Scene Investigator (CSI), Criminal Investigator, Detective, Fugitive Detective, Fugitive Investigator, Investigator
Representative Tasks
- •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 reports that detail investigation findings.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Check physical condition of people or animals.
- •Interview people to gather information about criminal activities.
- •Examine crime scenes to obtain evidence.
- •Prepare investigation or incident reports.
- •Prevent unauthorized individuals from entering restricted areas.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 3.7% | 2.6% |
| Outlook | Average | 19% Bright |
| Median Salary | $93,790 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 96/100 | N/A |