As of June 2026, Private Detectives and Investigators has an AI-exposure score of 63/100 (High exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index, blending O*NET tasks, the Anthropic Economic Index, the Penn/OpenAI study, and BLS data. This is an estimate of task exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Private Detectives and Investigators
More exposed than 77% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$51,220. About 3,900 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 — growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) — your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
How you compare to similar Protective Service roles
Your tasks, by AI exposure
- Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax or legal filings, or other resources to locate persons or to compile information for investigations.
- Obtain and analyze information on suspects, crimes, or disturbances to solve cases, to identify criminal activity, or to gather information for court cases.
- Question persons to obtain evidence for cases of divorce, child custody, or missing persons or information about individuals' character or financial status.
- Conduct personal background investigations, such as pre-employment checks, to obtain information about an individual's character, financial status, or personal history.
- Perform undercover operations, such as evaluating the performance or honesty of employees by posing as customers or employees.
- Confer with establishment officials, security departments, police, or postal officials to identify problems, provide information, or receive instructions.
- Expose fraudulent insurance claims or stolen funds.
- Observe and document activities of individuals to detect unlawful acts or to obtain evidence for cases, using binoculars and still or video cameras.
- Testify at hearings or court trials to present evidence.
- Alert appropriate personnel to suspects' locations.
- Conduct private investigations on a paid basis.
- Investigate companies' financial standings, or locate funds stolen by embezzlers, using accounting skills.
- Count cash and review transactions, sales checks, or register tapes to verify amounts or to identify shortages.
- Write reports or case summaries to document investigations.
No durable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as automatable (57%).
Safer adjacent roles
Your AI-Safe Career Report
Every task scored with what to do about it · 5–10 safer roles with salary, demand & reachability · skill-gap map · a 30/60/90-day roadmap · plus a résumé & LinkedIn rewrite · PDF.
Grounded in O*NET + the Anthropic Economic Index + BLS — personalized to your role.
AI was the most-cited reason for U.S. layoffs through mid-2026 — the workers who adapt earliest fare best. — Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 2026The upside: Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium — adapting pays. — PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
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