Public Safety, Inspections, & Enforcement
Investigator - 788989
$52,426 to $56,536 a year
Posted until September 29, 2026 · posted July 31, 2026
Requirements
Diploma + experience
Exam
Non-competitive title
A job title where a competitive exam is not practical, so the agency checks that your qualifications meet the standard instead. You apply directly. On our job pages this shows as "No exam for this title".
From ≈ $25.20 an hour · $2,016 every 2 weeks, before taxes (40-hour weeks).
NYC minimum wage is $17/hr. This beats it by $8.20/hr, with health insurance and a pension on top.
What you'd have made
$2,009 If you'd started this job 2 weeks ago, at this pay, before taxes.
An hour of this job pays for about 8.4 subway rides ($3 fare).
Price anything in hours of this job
Overtime added $926 on average that year, and it isn't guaranteed. Base salary of active employees paid a yearly rate, fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025). Source: NYC's payroll data
Check yourself
What they actually ask for.
High school diploma plus experience
1.
A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and four years of satisfactory full-time experience in an industrial or governmental agency in the field of investigation, auditing, law enforcement, security, inspections, or in a major operational area of the agency in which the appointment is to be made; or
2.A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; or
3. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above.
Quoted word for word from the official posting. The label above is ours, read from this text; if they disagree, this text wins.
The work
What the job is.
The New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the country; its mission is to combat municipal corruption.
DOI serves the people of New York City by acting as an independent and nonpartisan watchdog for New York City government, City agencies, and City employees, vendors with City contracts, individuals and entities that receive City funds.
Read the rest, from the posting
DOI seeks an entry-level Investigator to join our Background Investigation Unit (BIU). Your investigations will play a vital role in ensuring the integrity of New York City's leadership as the BIU investigates City employees for some of the most critical positions.
These include, but are not limited to, citywide executive management, employees with financial authority, access to the City's digital security and legal and investigative positions.
Key Responsibilities:
·
Conduct comprehensive, sensitive investigations of individuals under consideration for City appointments to positions of public trust. ·
Analyze, evaluate, and authenticate information obtained from the employee and diverse sources, including financial records, criminal history, employment records, education credentials, and other public and open-source intelligence. ·
Prepare clear, unbiased investigative reports to support City agencies in their hiring and promotion decisions.
·
Manage and complete a large caseload with time sensitive goals, within a team-driven environment. ·
Apply critical thinking and sound judgment to evaluate information, resolve discrepancies, and provide accurate investigative findings.
If selected, the candidate will be fingerprinted and undergo a background investigation. In addition, for positions that have a law enforcement and/or investigative function, the candidate's consumer credit history will be reviewed during the background investigation, and as otherwise permitted by NYC Administrative Code § 8-107(24)(b)(2)(A).
Skills they'd like
- Excellent writing skills, ability to prepare clear, concise, organized investigative findings.
- Strong communication, interpersonal skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
- Attention to detail while handling multiple time-sensitive investigations
- Professionalism and discretion in handling confidential or sensitive information.
- Investigative experience (law enforcement, legal, academic, or journalistic).
Before you apply
The fine print.
Where you have to live
Live in NYC within 90 days (usually)
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
How to apply, from the posting
All applicants, including current City Employees may apply by going to https://a127-jobs.nyc.gov and search for the specific Job ID # 788989.
Please do not email, mail, or fax your resume directly. Submissions of resumes do not guarantee an interview. Due to the high volume of resumes received for positions, only selected candidates will be contacted.
Read the rest
Appointments are subject to Office of Management & Budget approval for budgeted headcount.
Sources
Straight from the city.
Updated every day from the city's job data (last city update September 21, 2026). You apply through the official posting.
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