Private Investigator
Public Sector
Gather, analyze, compile, and report information regarding individuals or organizations to clients, or detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishment.
You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Write reports or case summaries to document investigations.
- 2Conduct private investigations on a paid basis.
- 3Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax or legal filings, or other resources to locate persons or to compile information for investigations.
- 4Expose fraudulent insurance claims or stolen funds.
- 5Conduct personal background investigations, such as pre-employment checks, to obtain information about an individual's character, financial status, or personal history.
- 6Obtain and analyze information on suspects, crimes, or disturbances to solve cases, to identify criminal activity, or to gather information for court cases.
- 7Testify at hearings or court trials to present evidence.
- 8Question persons to obtain evidence for cases of divorce, child custody, or missing persons or information about individuals' character or financial status.
- 9Observe and document activities of individuals to detect unlawful acts or to obtain evidence for cases, using binoculars and still or video cameras.
- 10Investigate companies' financial standings, or locate funds stolen by embezzlers, using accounting skills.
- 11Perform undercover operations, such as evaluating the performance or honesty of employees by posing as customers or employees.
- 12Alert appropriate personnel to suspects' locations.
- 13Count cash and review transactions, sales checks, or register tapes to verify amounts or to identify shortages.
- 14Confer with establishment officials, security departments, police, or postal officials to identify problems, provide information, or receive instructions.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- Detective
- Private Eye
- Skip Tracer
- Investigator
- Skip Locator
- Bonding Agent
- House Officer
- District Agent
- House Detective
- Store Detective
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
2
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
Typical entry
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
4
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
5
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- English Language84%
English
- Customer and Personal Service83%
- Law and Government80%
History (Sejarah)
- Computers and Electronics71%
Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies
- Administrative71%
Business
- Administration and Management70%
BusinessEconomics
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
- Leading or coordinating othersHigh
- Handling conflict situationsOften
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
- Noisy environmentAlmost never
Where this job is heading
Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.
- Serve documents to parties named in legal proceedings.
- Use advanced technology, such as drones, GPS trackers, and surveillance cameras, to facilitate investigations.
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Private Detectives and Investigators
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org