Overview
All Police
-
$2,036 Weekly Pay
-
Moderate Future Growth
Detectives
-
3,500 workers Employment Size
-
High skill Skill level rating
-
93% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
44 hours Average full-time
-
39 years Average age
-
25% female Gender Share
Detectives investigate serious crimes, such as terrorism, homicide, armed robbery, vice and arson, and gather evidence to arrest and prosecute suspected offenders.
Specialisations: Detective Sergeant, Plain Clothes Police Officer.
You need to be an experienced Police Officer before you can apply for detective training.
Tasks
- Investigates and prosecutes offences.
- Secures and examines scenes of crimes and accidents to obtain evidence.
- Protects witnesses and investigates official corruption.
- Maintains public order and safety.
- Patrols assigned areas to minimise potential for public disturbance and crime.
- Investigates accidents, crimes, minor offences and citizens' complaints, gathering evidence, and pursuing, arresting and interviewing suspected offenders.
- Tests persons suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and issues infringement notices for traffic offences.
- Directs and re-routes traffic at congested areas.
- Attends community meetings and answers inquiries.
- Gives advice and assistance to victims of crime and their families.
- Maintains records and prepares reports.
Prospects
The number of Detectives grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 2,700 in 2011 to 3,500 in 2016.
Caution: These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with caution.
- Size: This is a very small occupation.
- Location: Detectives work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in the Public Administration and Safety industry.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (93%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 44 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 39 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 25% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
You need to be an experienced Police Officer before you can apply for detective training.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Public Safety VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Police who are caring, compassionate, empathetic and can communicate clearly with a diverse range of people.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Philosophy and theology
Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Speed of recognition
Quickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 33-3021.01 - Police Detectives.
Work Environment
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
In an enclosed vehicle or equipment
Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Conflict situations
Deal with conflict or disagreements.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Angry or unpleasant people
Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 33-3021.01 - Police Detectives.
All Police
-
$2,036 Weekly Pay
-
Moderate Future Growth
Detectives
-
3,500 workers Employment Size
-
High skill Skill level rating
-
93% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
44 hours Average full-time
-
39 years Average age
-
25% female Gender Share
Detectives investigate serious crimes, such as terrorism, homicide, armed robbery, vice and arson, and gather evidence to arrest and prosecute suspected offenders.
Specialisations: Detective Sergeant, Plain Clothes Police Officer.
You need to be an experienced Police Officer before you can apply for detective training.
Tasks
- Investigates and prosecutes offences.
- Secures and examines scenes of crimes and accidents to obtain evidence.
- Protects witnesses and investigates official corruption.
- Maintains public order and safety.
- Patrols assigned areas to minimise potential for public disturbance and crime.
- Investigates accidents, crimes, minor offences and citizens' complaints, gathering evidence, and pursuing, arresting and interviewing suspected offenders.
- Tests persons suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and issues infringement notices for traffic offences.
- Directs and re-routes traffic at congested areas.
- Attends community meetings and answers inquiries.
- Gives advice and assistance to victims of crime and their families.
- Maintains records and prepares reports.
The number of Detectives grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 2,700 in 2011 to 3,500 in 2016.
Caution: These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with caution.
- Size: This is a very small occupation.
- Location: Detectives work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in the Public Administration and Safety industry.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (93%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 44 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 39 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 25% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
You need to be an experienced Police Officer before you can apply for detective training.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Public Safety VET training pathways.
Employers look for Police who are caring, compassionate, empathetic and can communicate clearly with a diverse range of people.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Philosophy and theology
Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Speed of recognition
Quickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 33-3021.01 - Police Detectives.
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
In an enclosed vehicle or equipment
Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Conflict situations
Deal with conflict or disagreements.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Angry or unpleasant people
Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 33-3021.01 - Police Detectives.