Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts

Obtain evidence, take statements, produce reports, and testify to findings regarding resolution of fraud allegations. May coordinate fraud detection and prevention activities.

Most important skills

Active Listening
Writing
Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Judgment and Decision Making
Active Learning
Complex Problem Solving

Key knowledge

English Language
Law and Government
Economics and Accounting
Administrative
Mathematics
Psychology
Public Safety and Security
Administration and Management

What the work involves

Maintain knowledge of current events and trends in such areas as money laundering and criminal tools and techniques.
Train others in fraud detection and prevention techniques.
Research or evaluate new technologies for use in fraud detection systems.
Prepare evidence for presentation in court.
Conduct field surveillance to gather case-related information.
Testify in court regarding investigation findings.
Advise businesses or agencies on ways to improve fraud detection.
Review reports of suspected fraud to determine need for further investigation.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Investigative, Enterprising.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (83.3% of expert ratings)
Related experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (33.3%)
On-the-job training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (20.8%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 13-2099 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Very low	Lower on contact with others than 80% of occupations compared	54% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time”
Dealing with the public	Moderate	Higher on dealing with the public than 52% of occupations compared	29% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	Low	Lower on teamwork than 62% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Moderate	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 51% of occupations compared	38% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Low	Lower on time pressure than 77% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Conflict situations	Moderate	Lower on conflict situations than 58% of occupations compared	42% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Moderate	Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 56% of occupations compared	42% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Low	Lower on consequence of error than 73% of occupations compared	42% of surveyed respondents chose “Not serious at all”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: low
Conflict situations: moderate
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
Consequence of error: low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions