10 of the Most Popular Types of Part Time Detective Jobs in 2026

See what kind of roles similar to Part Time Detective jobs are hiring now

Top Types Of Part Time Detective Jobs

• Part Time Private Investigator

  Salary range: $44,500 - $57,000

  As a part-time private investigator, your responsibilities mean you investigate suspicious activity and fraud using research, surveillance, and other technical skills. Because you work for private individuals, you can identify potential wrongdoing or suspicious behavior, but you have no right to arrest or prosecute someone because you do not work for the government. You might work for an individual or even a company, and each job requires you to perform different duties depending on the details of the case, the information needed, and the ultimate goal of the project. In some cases, you present your findings to a client or employer, and in other cases, you may present evidence in court.

• Background Investigator

  Salary range: $50,000 - $85,000

  A background investigator researches background and criminal histories for large organizations, federal agencies, and school districts. As a background investigator, you work closely with administrators and hiring managers to determine if potential candidates are qualified, capable, and well-suited to be successful in the role. Background investigators use online and other research tools, as well as interviews with friends, associates, former employers, and others to get a comprehensive understanding of a candidate’s background.

• Part Time Background Investigator

  Salary range: $52,500 - $98,500

  As a part-time background investigator, you work with law enforcement or a private agency to investigate a current case or delve into the background of potential job candidates as part of a pre-employment check. You use a myriad of resources for finding the necessary information, including court and public records. Duties often include interviewing people, reviewing social media, and conducting surveillance to provide the necessary evidence for a clearance report. Some employers hire these individuals to look for potential employee fraud or theft. Your responsibilities require you have a thorough knowledge of privacy law, as you are not the police and may only operate in a civil capacity. Part-time hours often extend to nights and weekends.

• Police Officer Detective

  Salary range: $48,500 - $74,500

  Police Officer Detective is a common job search query. Most salaries for Police Officer Detective jobs pay between $48,500 (25th percentile) and $74,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Police Officer Detective job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Criminology

  Salary range: $62,000 - $94,500

  Criminology is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Criminology jobs pay between $62,000 (25th percentile) and $94,500 (75th percentile) annually. You’ll find many open positions nationwide for Criminology job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Entry Level Crime Scene Investigator

  Salary range: $48,500 - $67,500

  An entry-level crime scene investigator (CSI) identifies and collects evidence at a crime scene. In this role, your job is to document everything in the area of suspected criminal activity by taking pictures, recording measurements, and gathering information that may not be captured by images, such as weather conditions. As an entry-level employee, you undergo on-the-job training and work under the supervision of senior crime scene staff members and investigators. You may shadow veteran investigators for a while, observing how they extract and process evidence at the crime scene and back at the office; it is crucial to preserve evidence properly to ensure it does not become tainted.

• Online Detective

  Salary range: $50,500 - $71,500

  Online Detective is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Online Detective jobs pay between $50,500 (25th percentile) and $71,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Online Detective job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Investigator

  Salary range: $52,500 - $98,500

  Investigator is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Investigator jobs pay between $52,500 (25th percentile) and $98,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Investigator job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Freelance Retired Law Enforcement

  Salary range: $50,500 - $128,500

  Freelance Retired Law Enforcement is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Freelance Retired Law Enforcement jobs pay between $50,500 (25th percentile) and $128,500 (75th percentile) annually. Take a look at the variety of open positions nationwide for Freelance Retired Law Enforcement job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Detective

  Salary range: $50,500 - $71,500

  A police detective is a police officer who works to gather evidence and facts for criminal cases. A police detective’s duties include interviewing potential suspects, examining records and apprehending criminals. These police officers will work on specific cases until they are solved or dropped.