Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in the U.S.
$99,430avg. a year
$47.80 an hour · 114,430 employed
Detectives and Criminal Investigators in the U.S. earn an average of $99,430 a year and a median of $93,790. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($148,110) and lowest in Arkansas ($68,840).
$93,790Median pay
$47.80Average hourly
+11%Avg. pay since 2020
114,430Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for detectives and criminal investigators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
12,980 jobs
District of Columbia
$148,110
$71.21 an hour
21,010 jobs
Maryland
$130,040
$62.52 an hour
3140 jobs
Alaska
$125,160
$60.17 an hour
4440 jobs
Hawaii
$124,610
$59.91 an hour
512,610 jobs
California
$121,530
$58.43 an hour
63,180 jobs
Virginia
$119,620
$57.51 an hour
71,300 jobs
Massachusetts
$118,130
$56.80 an hour
81,850 jobs
Washington
$118,040
$56.75 an hour
9140 jobs
Delaware
$117,730
$56.60 an hour
103,080 jobs
New Jersey
$116,540
$56.03 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $87k$87k–$93k$93k–$106k$106k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $148,490 | $71.39 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $146,910 | $70.63 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $144,580 | $69.51 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $135,460 | $65.13 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $134,010 | $64.43 |
| Bellingham, WA | $130,310 | $62.65 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $129,430 | $62.23 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $129,420 | $62.22 |
Related jobs
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$79,200
- Correctional Officers and Jailers$63,630
- Bailiffs$61,660
- Parking Enforcement Workers$51,190
- Fish and Game Wardens$74,950
- Transit and Railroad Police$91,810
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $79,070 | $66,290 | 1,340 |
| Alaska | $125,160 | $114,940 | 140 |
| Arizona | $100,000 | $102,340 | 5,250 |
| Arkansas | $68,840 | $54,500 | 560 |
| California | $121,530 | $124,840 | 12,610 |
| Colorado | $109,010 | $105,480 | 1,930 |
| Connecticut | $101,890 | $95,240 | 940 |
| Delaware | $117,730 | $122,050 | 140 |
| District of Columbia | $148,110 | $160,760 | 2,980 |
| Florida | $93,020 | $77,060 | 6,440 |
| Georgia | $78,140 | $65,430 | 5,070 |
| Hawaii | $124,610 | $113,940 | 440 |
| Idaho | $81,570 | $72,520 | 630 |
| Illinois | $97,480 | $91,190 | 3,270 |
| Indiana | $77,610 | $70,340 | 1,280 |
| Iowa | $87,110 | $79,560 | 410 |
| Kansas | $78,750 | $75,740 | 1,060 |
| Kentucky | $86,900 | $71,670 | 720 |
| Louisiana | $71,160 | $60,450 | 1,740 |
| Maine | $92,920 | $88,310 | 550 |
| Maryland | $130,040 | $126,730 | 1,010 |
| Massachusetts | $118,130 | $110,150 | 1,300 |
| Michigan | $103,190 | $90,650 | 2,220 |
| Minnesota | $87,860 | $80,000 | 1,970 |
| Mississippi | $71,020 | $58,640 | 810 |
| Missouri | $85,720 | $75,650 | 1,600 |
| Montana | $93,800 | $92,410 | 500 |
| Nebraska | $103,850 | $100,530 | 290 |
| Nevada | $101,950 | $94,470 | 590 |
| New Hampshire | $104,670 | $89,290 | 290 |
| New Jersey | $116,540 | $116,300 | 3,080 |
| New Mexico | $84,880 | $86,840 | 2,020 |
| New York | $105,880 | $101,240 | 9,600 |
| North Carolina | $76,020 | $63,280 | 3,360 |
| North Dakota | $88,310 | $82,290 | 420 |
| Ohio | $90,600 | $79,300 | 2,140 |
| Oklahoma | $86,620 | $80,430 | 1,220 |
| Oregon | $113,430 | $107,450 | 520 |
| Pennsylvania | $101,760 | $97,580 | 3,370 |
| Rhode Island | $98,430 | $88,450 | 360 |
| South Carolina | $77,020 | $62,760 | 1,470 |
| South Dakota | $91,060 | $77,730 | 250 |
| Tennessee | $87,790 | $77,090 | 1,860 |
| Texas | $92,030 | $90,510 | 18,870 |
| Utah | $89,940 | $78,920 | 550 |
| Vermont | $104,220 | $106,330 | 190 |
| Virginia | $119,620 | $112,760 | 3,180 |
| Washington | $118,040 | $115,790 | 1,850 |
| West Virginia | $102,070 | $92,410 | 220 |
| Wisconsin | $90,620 | $91,040 | 1,640 |
| Wyoming | $91,890 | $81,880 | 170 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$113,870
7,580 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$146,910
4,830 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$126,590
3,240 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$78,150
3,070 jobsSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$121,210
2,990 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$103,220
2,290 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$110,140
2,160 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$109,390
2,110 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do detectives and criminal investigators make?
The average is $99,430 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $93,790 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $47.80, and the median is $45.09 an hour.
Which state pays detectives and criminal investigators the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $148,110 a year. The best-paying metro area is Brunswick-St. Simons, GA at $148,490.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $55,390 a year, and the top 10% earn over $160,540.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 33-3021. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.