Crime scene investigators are also called police detectives. Their main responsibility is to investigate crime scenes, interview witnesses, and research evidence involved at a crime scene. They must properly record, store, and manage evidence collected at a crime and information like photographs taken at a crime scene.

Educational Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Criminal Investigations, Political Science, Law Enforcement, or a similar field

Crime scene investigators working for local and state municipalities don’t always need a college degree to get hired; however, a high school diploma and a college degree in fields like criminal justice, political science, law enforcement, or other related fields of study can be helpful when trying to get hired as competition for these jobs is very stiff. To become a crime scene investigator for the FBI or other federal agencies, applicants need a college degree and at least 3 years of professional work experience or a graduate degree and 2 years of work experience. Degrees need to be in fields like accounting, electrical engineering, information technology, computer science, or fluency in a foreign language. FBI agents must also complete 18 weeks of training at the federal FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Educational Courses

Constitutional Law
State Law and Ordinances
Security
Marksmanship
Dealing with Difficult Passenger
Emergency Situational Management

Employment Statistics

Number of criminal investigators in 2008: 112,200
Projected Employment Numbers of criminal investigators through 2018: 130,900
Average Annual Pay in 2010 for criminal investigators: $39,300 to $60,910

Great Colleges

Lincoln College
Broadview University
Everest College
Penn Foster College
Keiser University

Related Careers

Correctional officers
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics
Fire fighters
Private detectives and investigators
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
Security guards and gaming surveillance officers

Article Reference: bls.gov