Specializing as a Private Investigator

Private investigators are advised to find their niche and specialize in only a few types of investigations.  

By doing only the types of investigations you do best, you become notable in your region. As you become known for your expertise in your specialty, your clients will come to you. You will find many more opportunities and make more money than if you advertise yourself as a jack of all trades. This is not theory; it has been proven throughout the industry and across the country over and over again.

The types of assignments private investigators typically take are virtually endless. They may, however, be grouped into general categories. Which type pays the most? That question cannot be answered definitively, but surveillance is often the most lucrative assignment a private investigator can get. Surveillance offers definite, billable blocks of time.

Compensation varies greatly. Some investigators make $300 to $500 an hour for forensic computer evaluation, security consulting, automobile repossession, and some other specialties. Bail fugitive recovery work may bring in thousands of dollars an hour. Bail enforcement work may pay $150 an hour, although few investigators enjoy that type of work. Not only is it very dangerous and highly competitive, but you don’t get paid unless you complete the case.

Speaking of danger, is private investigation a dangerous field of work overall? Obviously, some jobs are more dangerous than others. These include collateral repossession and bounty hunting. However, in general, private investigation is not dangerous work. You have probably heard stories or seen movies of private investigators being attacked while on surveillance by a cheating husband or being threatened with a shotgun while serving a subpoena. Most episodes of Magnum PI have Tom Selleck dodging bullets. Although such things can and do happen in rare instances, they are overplayed. Keeping safety always in mind is part of the training for private investigators.




 

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