Preparing for Your Career as a Polygraph Examiner
So, it’s a long path to becoming a polygraph examiner, and you can expect your studies and internship to take the better part of six to seven years before you can start conducting exams yourself. Candidates looking to start a career in polygraph must prepare themselves for the lengthy study time involved and the extensive financial costs associated with qualifying and certifying them to work in the field.
The Career Path to Success for Polygraph Examiners
After you start working as a qualified and certified polygraph examiner, you’ll need to build your industry reputation. That means conducting thousands of polygraph exams. Typically, people entering employment opportunities in the public sector involving agencies like the NSA, CIA, and FBI will require some experience before the employer will hire them.
Working in the private sector will require five to ten years of conducting exams before you’re ready to enter a management or teaching role. Starting a polygraphy business and opening a company may take anywhere from 10 to 15 years of executing tests.
However, those who achieve qualifications, certification, and extensive industry experience are highly sought-after professionals. You can expect salaries at this level to be anywhere from $100,000 to $250,000 per year, depending on your employer and organizational role.
A career in polygraphy is lucrative and rewarding. You could be headhunted by international companies to work in foreign countries, allowing you to see the world and expand your worldview. It’s up to you how far you want to take your career and the opportunities you choose in your career.
