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Overview
Police detectives gather evidence, interview people connected to an enquiry and work with other police divisions to help solve crimes.
In job descriptions, look for crime-scene work, case evidence, interviews, investigation strategy, legal evidence analysis, information security and presenting evidence clearly.
Explore this occupation
Search jobsWhat the work can involve
Police detective work centers on enquiries into suspected crimes. The work can include examining crime scenes, securing case evidence, interviewing witnesses or suspects, coordinating with forensic and operational units, and turning findings into reports that can support decisions.
Skills and specializations
Useful depth includes investigation strategy, evidence handling, criminology, interviewing, legal evidence analysis, information security, crime-scene procedure and clear presentation of findings.
Salary context
Salary context depends on case complexity, specialist investigation area, shift pattern, supervisory responsibility, field exposure, documentation load and whether the role includes operational duties as well as case analysis.
Career paths
Development can move toward senior detective roles, specialist investigation units, digital or financial investigation, evidence coordination, team supervision, training or broader police management.
Good to know
Check whether adverts name the case type, evidence responsibilities, interview work, report writing, interdepartmental coordination, information-security expectations and any field or response duties.
Editorial note
This guide is editorial career context. It is not official labour-market statistics or role-specific salary data.
Map overview
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O*NET relationships
See occupations connected to this ESCO occupation in the official O*NET–ESCO mapping. The relationship type comes from the source and is not a ranking or recommendation.
O*NET relationships: 5
Private Detectives and Investigators
33-9021.00
O*NET occupation is broader
The O*NET occupation covers a broader field of work than this ESCO occupation.
Open in O*NETPolice and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
33-3051.00
O*NET occupation is broader
The O*NET occupation covers a broader field of work than this ESCO occupation.
Open in O*NETForensic Science Technicians
19-4092.00
Close relationship
The occupations are closely related, but the official mapping does not treat them as exact equivalents.
Open in O*NETPolice Identification and Records Officers
33-3021.02
Close relationship
The occupations are closely related, but the official mapping does not treat them as exact equivalents.
Open in O*NETDetectives and Criminal Investigators
33-3021.00
O*NET occupation is broader
The O*NET occupation covers a broader field of work than this ESCO occupation.
Open in O*NETSource and method
These relationships come from the official European Commission O*NET–ESCO crosswalk.
Relationship direction: O*NET occupation to ESCO occupation.
Several O*NET occupations can point to the same ESCO occupation, and one O*NET occupation can point to several ESCO occupations.
AltoTrail preserves the source relationship type. The order is technical and does not show which occupation is best, most relevant or recommended.
AltoTrail validates and presents the source relationships without adding ranking or recommendation semantics.
Alternative labels
Occupation group
Police inspectors and detectives (3355)
Source facts
| ESCO URI | http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/3880e9e8-bc2b-48d9-8afc-a0f258c1c4b0 |
|---|---|
| ESCO code | 3355.2 |
| ISCO group | 3355 |
| Concept type | Occupation |