According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, private detectives and investigators have a median annual earning of $32,110 in 2004. Annual income from investigative practice varies by employer, specialty or geographic area. Despite the growth evident in the private investigation industry, stiff competition is expected since more and more qualified people have become interested in this profession. A private investigator Washington usually has irregular work hours because of the nature of the profession. Depending on the market niche that he serves and the field of specialty that he has chosen, he employs different strategies to gather and verify facts pertaining to the case he is handling.

A private investigator in Washington is paid by private citizens and business organizations to gather facts pertaining to the case he is handling. Unlike a police detective and a crime-scene investigator, his job is limited to collecting facts and does not include arresting and prosecuting criminals. There are many sources of information for a private investigator in Washington. The most common source of information is a surveillance operation which requires him to follow a target and take note of the places where the latter goes to and the people that he meets. When doing this, it is important that an investigator does not lose his target and at the same time, the target should not be able to notice that he is being followed. This process can take hours and may involve an element of danger. » Read more: How A Private Investigator in Washington Gathers Facts