Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
$146,910avg. a year
$70.63 an hour · 4,830 employed
Detectives and Criminal Investigators in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn an average of $146,910 a year. That is about the same as the District of Columbia average of $148,110. The U.S. average is $99,430.
$156,750Median pay
$70.63Average hourly
-1%vs. District of Columbia average
4,830Jobs in this metro
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.
How Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compares
Pay range: metro vs. state vs. U.S.
Annual wage percentiles, May 2025
This metroDistrict of ColumbiaU.S.
Related jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $87,110 |
| Security Guards | $54,430 |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $71,120 |
| Bailiffs | $63,640 |
| Parking Enforcement Workers | $59,760 |
| Fish and Game Wardens | $85,540 |
Questions and answers
How much do detectives and criminal investigators make in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
The average is $146,910 a year, and the median is $156,750. About 4,830 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the District of Columbia average?
That is about the same as the District of Columbia average of $148,110.
Is this job common in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
It makes up 1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 2.09 times the national share.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, occupation code 33-3021. Metro area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 47900). Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.