Benefits of Working as a Criminal Investigator
A criminal investigator is expected to be part psychologist, part Sherlock Holmes, part communications expert while excelling at the management of complex criminal and civil law cases, the understanding of evidentiary rules, the use and care of firearms, and more. It's tough work, but it has its benefits, too.
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Job Specializations
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Crime scene Criminal investigators aren't stuck doing one type of investigative work. They can specialize in fields such as financial fraud, domestic violence, crimes against persons, gang investigations and more.
Training Opportunities
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Firearms Training The federal government including agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATFE), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security) offer a variety of training programs for criminal investigators. Such programs include seminars on organized crime, psychology of domestic violence and vehicle accident investigations.
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Personnel Support
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Forensic laboratory Criminal investigators working for federal, state and local government agencies enjoy experienced administrative support--from secretarial to forensics--to augment their job performance.
Salary
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According to O*Net's Summary Report 33-3021.03 for Criminal Investigators and Special Agents, the national median salary range for a criminal investigator in 2008 was $29.29 hourly, $60,910 annual.
Job Outlook
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According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, the investigations profession is expected to grow faster than the national average, with an anticipated growth of 22 percent throughout the 2008 to 2018 decade.
Appreciation
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Closure and peace When people lose a loved one who was victimized by a serious crime, the criminal investigator finding and bringing the perpetrator to justice is the only person who can finally bring the family closure and peace. Anthony Craft, a former criminal investigator and author of "Criminal Investigations-An Officer's Perspective" states that his greatest work benefit was "the feeling of appreciation that is expressed and received from the families for their lost ones."
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of traveling for about a month) (Jeremy Barwick Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Colin Brown Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Shane Gavin Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Laurence Livermore Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of D. Sharon Pruitt
