Public Safety, Inspections, & Enforcement
Investigator - Worker Protection
$63,736 to $73,296 a year
Posted until November 24, 2026 · posted September 25, 2026
Requirements
License or certificate
Exam
Competitive title
A job title where you show you are right for it by passing a competitive exam: multiple-choice, practical, education and experience, or a mix. On our job pages this shows as "Civil service exam title".
Mostly for people already in city service. The posting says:
“Permanent employees in the civil service title, and comparable title (under 6.1.9) are also eligible to apply.*”
New to city jobs? Start with the ones open to anyone.
From ≈ $30.64 an hour · $2,451 every 2 weeks, before taxes (40-hour weeks).
NYC minimum wage is $17/hr. This beats it by $13.64/hr, with health insurance and a pension on top.
What you'd have made
$2,443 If you'd started this job 2 weeks ago, at this pay, before taxes.
An hour of this job pays for about 10.2 subway rides ($3 fare).
Price anything in hours of this job
Check yourself
What they actually ask for.
A license or certificate is part of the requirements
- A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and four years of full-time, satisfactory experience conducting investigations or inspections for a consumer or worker protection agency; or
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; or
- A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience, which is equivalent to "1" above. College education may be substituted for the required experience on the basis of 30 semester credits for each year of required experience. However, all candidates must have a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent.
Read the rest of the requirements
License Requirement: Possession of a Motor Vehicle Driver License valid in the State of New York at the time of appointment. This license must be maintained for the duration of employment.
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.
*DCWP is currently hiring for this position either on a provisional basis or through the 55a program. Permanent employees in the civil service title, and comparable title (under 6.1.9) are also eligible to apply.*
**This position may be eligible for remote work for up to 2 days per week, pursuant to the Flexible Work Pilot Program. **
Read the rest, from the posting
The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses nearly 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection and workplace laws that apply to countless more.
By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance.
DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City’s communities.
For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), sign up for its newsletter, or follow on its social media sites, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
The Office of Labor Policy & Standards (“OLPS”) enforces the City’s worker protection laws, including the Protected Time Off Law, Fair Workweek scheduling laws that protect fast food and retail workers, Delivery Worker Laws that provide minimum pay and other protections for app delivery workers, and wrongful deactivation protections for Uber and Lyft drivers.
We also administer the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (FIFA) program, which assists freelance workers who have experienced wage theft and other violations. We obtain monetary compensation for workers for violations and bring companies into compliance. More information about our office is available at nyc.gov/workers.
OLPS is seeking an Investigator to investigate potential violations of NYC worker protection laws. Key responsibilities include:
- Maintaining a strong understanding of the laws OLPS enforces
- Interviewing workers, employers, and witnesses by telephone and in-person
- Obtaining, documenting, and analyzing documentary evidence, including employer policies, payroll records, employee schedules, time records and other employment-related documents
- Performing research using public sources, law enforcement databases, and other investigative tools
- Applying the law to facts gathered during an investigation to identify appropriate charges
- Writing investigation reports identifying violations uncovered during an investigation and containing recommendations for enforcement action
- Calculating money owed to employees and civil penalties owed to the City
- Engaging directly with businesses and attorneys to negotiate a resolution of the charges
- Drafting document demands, findings letters, and settlement agreements
- Testifying at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings’ Trial Division about investigation findings
- Independently investigating and managing a high volume of cases, using appropriate judgment to elevate complex issues with a Supervising Investigator
- Investigating cases that are complex and/or broad in scope, in collaboration with investigation teams of data scientists and attorneys
Skills they'd like
- Knowledge and experience in labor standards investigations or low-wage worker issues
- Analytic, research and writing skills
- The ability to gather detailed information from workers through interviews
- The ability to understand various laws, rules, and regulations sufficiently to analyze issues, identify evidence needed to evaluate compliance, and present findings and recommendations
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including the ability to analyze data in Excel
- Experience handling multiple assignments with competing deadlines with a high degree of detail and accuracy
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Fluency in a language other than English, especially Spanish, French, Bengali, or Mandarin Chinese
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
To apply for this position, please submit your application exclusively through the Jobs NYC website. Only applications submitted via the Jobs NYC platform will be considered for review. The Job ID is located at the bottom of the page.
Read the rest
A resume and cover letter are required as part of the application. In your cover letter, please include the following:
- Civil service title you currently hold or whether you have taken any civil service exams (if applicable).
- The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We strongly encourage 55-a candidates to apply. If eligible, please indicate this in your cover letter. Incomplete applications or those missing the required documents will not be considered.
Reasonable Accommodations DCWP is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to employment opportunities. If you need an accommodation to participate in the interview process, please contact us at [email protected].
Please note the following important application instructions:
- No phone calls, faxes, emails, or in-person inquiries will be accepted.
- Only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted. If you do not receive communication from us, please consider your application as not being selected for this position.
- Drug Screening: Please be aware that a drug screening may be required prior to appointment. Candidates will be notified if this is necessary as part of the pre-employment process. Appointments are subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval.
For any questions or concerns regarding your application, please email the recruitment team at [email protected].
Sources
Straight from the city.
From the city's job data, which the city last updated September 28, 2026. You apply through the official posting.
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