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Private Detectives and Investigators in Florida

Considering working as a Private Detectives and Investigators in Florida? Below are the key facts. 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.

$48,880 Median Annual Wage (Florida)

$71,252 National Median Annual Wage

3,780 Florida Employment

Medium Preparation Needed Typical Preparation

What do Private Detectives and Investigators Make in Florida?

For private detectives and investigators working in Florida, the median annual wage is $48,880 per year (or roughly $23.50/hour).Pay can range from $34,580 at the 10th percentile to $96,540 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$34,580	$16.63
25th percentile	$37,920	$18.23
Median (50th)	$48,880	$23.50
75th percentile	$71,440	$34.35
90th percentile	$96,540	$46.42

Salary ranges for Private Detectives and Investigators in Florida

The job concentration index in Florida compared to the national average — is 1.53, meaning that private detectives and investigators are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, private detectives and investigators earn a median of $71,252 per year ($34.26/hour), lower than the Florida median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 376,964 private detectives and investigators across the United States. In Florida alone, approximately 3,780 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 450 private detectives and investigators.

Forecasted number of jobs for Private Detectives and Investigators

Top Florida Metros for Private Detectives and Investigators

The metro areas below employ the most private detectives and investigators in Florida.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	1,200	$50,860
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	670	$47,860
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	400	$42,340
Jacksonville, FL	370	$49,050
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	120	$44,630
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	110	$45,510
Tallahassee, FL	100	$44,910
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	80	$52,360
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	80	$52,470
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	60	$48,120
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL	60	$45,900
Gainesville, FL	40	$48,870
Ocala, FL	40	$47,020
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL	40	$48,380
Port St. Lucie, FL	40	$48,380
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL	30	$54,720

Top States for Private Detectives and Investigators Employment

These states have the highest employment of private detectives and investigators work.

State	Number Employed
California	5,260
Florida	3,780
Texas	3,440
New York	1,850
Illinois	1,770
Pennsylvania	1,550
North Carolina	1,370
Ohio	1,360
Georgia	1,340
Michigan	980
Arizona	980
Minnesota	940
Virginia	900
Louisiana	890
Washington	840
New Jersey	790
Tennessee	690
South Carolina	650
Colorado	580
Alabama	580

Highest-Paying States for Private Detectives and Investigators

The highest-paying states for private detectives and investigators.

State	Annual Median Salary
Oregon	$77,320
Maryland	$74,360
Illinois	$73,070
Minnesota	$72,070
Connecticut	$68,290
Wyoming	$67,360
Vermont	$66,070
Washington	$65,370
Arizona	$64,960
California	$60,210

Skills

The most important private detectives and investigators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Active Listening 4.1 / 5

Speaking 4.0 / 5

Critical Thinking 3.9 / 5

Reading Comprehension 3.9 / 5

Complex Problem Solving 3.8 / 5

Writing 3.6 / 5

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

English Language 4.2 / 5

Customer and Personal Service 4.2 / 5

Law and Government 4.0 / 5

Computers and Electronics 3.6 / 5

Administrative 3.5 / 5

Administration and Management 3.5 / 5

Abilities

Key abilities for private detectives and investigators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Inductive Reasoning 4.1 / 5

Near Vision 4.0 / 5

Oral Comprehension 4.0 / 5

Problem Sensitivity 4.0 / 5

Oral Expression 4.0 / 5

Written Expression 3.9 / 5

Daily Tasks

Private Detectives and Investigators typically:

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

Work Activities

Getting Information
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Documenting/Recording Information
Working with Computers
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Analyzing Data or Information
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Communicating with People Outside the Organization
Processing Information
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Facebook In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

Other careers like private detectives and investigators include:

Also Known As

AML Investigator (Anti Money Laundering Investigator), Alarm Investigator, Asset Protection Detective, BSA Investigator (Bank Secrecy Act Investigator), Background Investigator, Bonding Agent, Case Investigator, Cash Shortage Investigator, Certified Legal Investigator, Contract Investigator, Detective, Detective Investigator, District Agent, Employee Relations Investigator, Field Investigator.

References

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
O*NET-SOC code: 33-9021.00

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