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Demand for the private investigator (PI) role is increasing across the United States, with Texas being one of the fastest-growing states in terms of opportunities.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the saturation of PI jobs is below the national average, making it an excellent career opportunity if you have the skills.
Larger cities like Houston and Dallas offer highly lucrative, promising opportunities with higher-than-average PI salaries.
It is important to note that opportunities are abundant in rural and suburban areas, so you aren’t limited only to cities.
If you’re interested in becoming a PI in Texas, keep reading to learn more!
How to Become a Private Investigator in Texas – Step by Step
To become a PI in Texas, there are several steps you must take.
These include the following:
Step One: Ensure You Meet the Requirements
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have a record free of Class A misdemeanors and felonies.
- Must not be ruled incompetent due to a disease or mental defect.
- Must not be registered as a sex offender in any U.S. State.
Step Two: Submit an Application
The cost for the government to conduct an extensive FBI background check and to complete the application is $75.
The application requests your personal information and reconfirms the data in the first step to ensure you’re compliant.
Step Three: Earn a Degree
To become a registered PI, you must have an advanced degree beyond high school, experience, or both.
The Texas Occupations Code states that you must hold a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related major, have a bachelor’s degree (in any subject) with 12 months of investigation-related work, or hold an associate degree in criminal justice or a related field with 24 months of investigation experience.
The educational requirements are so rigorous because the government does not want those unfamiliar with the law, legal proceedings, or other legal statutes to be investigating citizens.
PIs need to know their boundaries and ensure they are working within the law.
Step Four: Earn a License
The Texas Department of Public Safety regulates Texas PIs, which must be licensed under the Private Security Act to operate.
After meeting the educational and experience requirements, candidates must pass an examination with a score of 70 percent.
This is a 100-question, open-book test that takes around two hours to complete.
Other licensure requirements include holding a surety bond and proof of liability insurance.
Those who do not have the proper experience yet but meet educational requirements must be affiliated with a company that helps manage the licensure process through the government.
Step Five: Meet the Continuing Education Requirement
The State Government wants to ensure PIs of all experience levels are updated on the latest laws and regulations so that they comply.
Therefore, the minimal continuing education requirements include:
All license holders must finish eight continuing education hours, seven in a subject matter related to the license type, and one that covers ethics.
PIs with over 15 years of continuous licensure must complete 12 hours of continuing education, comprised of eight hours related to investigations, two hours covering ethics, and two hours reviewing Chapter 1702 of the Private Security Act.
PIs with under 15 years of continuous licensure must complete 18 hours of continuing education, 14 related to investigations, two covering ethics, and two reviewing Chapter 1702 of the Private Security Act.
Private Investigator Schools in Texas
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Request InformationSponsored1 ACES Private Investigator Academy
ACES PI Academy delivers some of the best training in Texas due to the instructors’ decades of industry experience.
The entire program can be completed online and at the student’s own pace.
The curriculum covers verbal and written communications, surveillance methods, equipment, case types, handling records, marketing, and recording techniques.
The program allows students to purchase different courses and receive a certificate at the end.
Each course costs $250 – $500.
Contact Information
- Address: 3800 N Lamar Blvd Suite 200, Austin, TX 78756
- Phone: 210-399-2053
- Website: Visit School Website
2 University of North Texas
UNT offers a PI certificate program that is ranked within the top five in the country.
The program operates under the school’s Department of Criminal Justice and trains students in practice and theory, while including a business education element for those looking to start an agency after graduation.
The program takes around one year to complete.
Contact Information
- Address: 1155 Union Cir, Denton, TX 76205, USA
- Phone: +1 940-565-2000
- Website: Visit School Website
Schools Summary Table
| Rank | School | |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | ACES Private Investigator Academy |
| #2 | University of North Texas |
Private Investigator Salary Information
The median annual salary for a PI in Texas is just under $51,000.
The pay ranges from $41,200 to $61,600, which is based on experience, education, and location.
This salary is fairly consistent with the national average of $51,900.
| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
$34.9K |
|
$48.1K |
|
$66.2K |
Average Salary in Texas
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Houston | $49,197 |
| San Antonio | $49,377 |
| Dallas | $48,501 |
| Austin | $48,192 |
| Fort Worth | $50,688 |
| El Paso | $53,814 |
| Arlington | $55,909 |
| Corpus Christi | $50,200 |
| Plano | $59,277 |
| Lubbock | $44,666 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 160 | $64,440 | $30.98 | $106,410 | $36,050 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 50 | $50,850 | $24.45 | $67,550 | $37,860 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 790 | $63,540 | $30.55 | $110,350 | $35,360 |
| El Paso, TX | 70 | $49,390 | $23.75 | $86,540 | $31,210 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 530 | $58,940 | $28.34 | $91,230 | $33,180 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 60 | $44,120 | $21.21 | $61,980 | $31,180 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 260 | $62,160 | $29.89 | $103,170 | $35,040 |
| Tyler, TX | 40 | $70,400 | $33.85 | $89,650 | $35,350 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Find Private Investigator Career Guides by State
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the pros and cons of becoming a private investigator in Texas?
The pros include:
- Career control – You can specialize by working specifically with private firms, insurance companies, attorneys, and corporations, or opt for a broad scope of work.
- Case variety – Given various cases, you may work across a diversity of fields, ranging from law enforcement collaboration to corporate clients.
- Earning potential – If self-employed, you have the freedom to earn as little or as much as you want and can set the rates.
- Job satisfaction – The workload provides a steady stream of analytical challenges and mental exercises, which can appeal to those who like solving puzzles.
- Personal fulfillment – Being part of bringing justice to criminals can be a highly rewarding job, especially when cases align with your personal values.
The cons include:
- Business challenges – need to know how to operate and grow a business.
- Repetitive tasks – a significant amount of the work involves observation, monitoring, and research, which can be monotonous.
- Safety risk – can end up in high-risk, dangerous situations when investigating criminal behavior.
- Start-up costs – since becoming a PI requires Texas training, licensure, and certification, it can be expensive to start a PI business.
- Unpredictable planning – the workload and hours can vary greatly, especially while you are trying to build a business.
How can I start a private investigation agency in Texas?
The aforementioned process is the beginning step of becoming a PI.
Your choice to open an agency is available after earning Texas licensure.
From this point, you must organize the business to ensure all necessary Texas requirements are met. You must also get insured to the minimum state policy requirements.
Then, you must put on your marketing hat and determine your target market.
If you have a specialization or want to expand into a special area, then taking additional classes will help.
The final step is to find clients, starting with your ideal client.
Make sure to have business cards, a logo, a website, and other business and sales tools functioning.
What are the most common types of PIs in Texas?
While the best-known PIs cover arson, corporate, loss prevention, civil/domestic, financial, insurance, and computer forensics, other types are abundant, including:
- Accident / Reconstruction – This PI reconstructs specific crimes or accidents to uncover the truth.
- Asset Search – The investigator searches public records to confirm real estate or property ownership.
- Bounty Hunter – Bounty hunters are specialized PIs who work with law enforcement to apprehend individuals.
- Bug Detection – This is a cyber investigator who conducts electronic sweeps of areas to find location trackers or recording devices.
- Child Support – Individuals hire these PIs to determine the best placement for a child between legal guardians.
- Due Diligence – Typically involving corporate clients, a due diligence investigator supports business transactions.
- Mystery Shopper – These store investigators work to catch shoplifters.
- Social Media – This area is becoming more popular as a result of increasing catfishing cases. This PI seeks information about who owns different accounts.
- Wrongful Death – This PI helps determine the happenings around a case to assist with gathering evidence.
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