Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in Illinois
$97,480avg. a year
$46.87 an hour · 3,270 employed
Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Illinois earn an average of $97,480 a year. That is about the same as the U.S. average of $99,430. The best-paying metro area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at $103,220.
$91,190Median pay
$46.87Average hourly
+7%Avg. pay since 2020
#24Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Illinois metro areas
Average pay for detectives and criminal investigators by metro area. Swipe to see all 7.
12,290 jobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$103,220
$49.63 an hour
2130 jobs
Rockford, IL
$102,510
$49.28 an hour
3120 jobs
Springfield, IL
$96,080
$46.19 an hour
4660 jobs
St. Louis, MO-IL
$93,760
$45.08 an hour
560 jobs
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$91,710
$44.09 an hour
660 jobs
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$79,640
$38.29 an hour
780 jobs
Peoria, IL
$73,880
$35.52 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 in Illinois, charted
Pay over time
Illinois, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Illinois detectives and criminal investigators work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Illinois highlighted · tap a state
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Under $87k$87k–$93k$93k–$106k$106k+Illinois
Illinois vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $99,430 | $47.80 |
| Illinois | $97,480 | $46.87 |
| Wisconsin | $90,620 | $43.57 |
| Iowa | $87,110 | $41.88 |
| Kentucky | $86,900 | $41.78 |
| Missouri | $85,720 | $41.21 |
| Indiana | $77,610 | $37.31 |
Related jobs in Illinois
Average pay, Illinois, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do detectives and criminal investigators make in Illinois?
The average is $97,480 a year, and the median is $91,190. That is about the same as the U.S. average of $99,430.
What is the hourly wage in Illinois?
$46.87 an hour on average; the median is $43.84.
Where in Illinois do they earn the most?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ($103,220), followed by Rockford, IL ($102,510). The lowest average among 7 metro areas with data is Peoria, IL ($73,880).
How does Illinois rank?
Illinois ranks #24 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
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. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national detectives and criminal investigators page. 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.