Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary
The median pay for detectives and criminal investigators in the United States is $93,790 a year. About 114,430 people hold this job.
- 10th percentile
- $55,390
- 25th percentile
- $69,330
- Median percentile
- $93,790
- 75th percentile
- $120,520
- 90th percentile
- $160,540
Percentiles show the spread of pay, not experience. BLS does not report experience, so reading the 25th percentile as "entry level" is only a rough guide. Data period: BLS OEWS May 2025.
How to become: education, skills and job outlook
Highest-paying states · Highest-paying cities
By state
- District of Columbia $160,760
- Maryland $126,730
- California $124,840
- Delaware $122,050
- New Jersey $116,300
- Washington $115,790
- Alaska $114,940
- Hawaii $113,940
- Virginia $112,760
- Massachusetts $110,150
- Oregon $107,450
- Vermont $106,330
- Colorado $105,480
- Arizona $102,340
- New York $101,240
- Nebraska $100,530
- Pennsylvania $97,580
- Connecticut $95,240
- Nevada $94,470
- Montana $92,410
- West Virginia $92,410
- Illinois $91,190
- Wisconsin $91,040
- Michigan $90,650
- Texas $90,510
- New Hampshire $89,290
- Rhode Island $88,450
- Maine $88,310
- New Mexico $86,840
- North Dakota $82,290
- Wyoming $81,880
- Oklahoma $80,430
- Minnesota $80,000
- Iowa $79,560
- Ohio $79,300
- Utah $78,920
- South Dakota $77,730
- Tennessee $77,090
- Florida $77,060
- Kansas $75,740
- Missouri $75,650
- Idaho $72,520
- Kentucky $71,670
- Indiana $70,340
- Alabama $66,290
- Georgia $65,430
- North Carolina $63,280
- South Carolina $62,760
- Louisiana $60,450
- Mississippi $58,640
- Arkansas $54,500
By metro area
- San Jose, CA $158,640
- Brunswick, GA $158,060
- Washington, DC $156,750
- Oxnard, CA $153,570
- Urban Honolulu, HI $140,750
- Great Falls, MT $136,120
- Santa Rosa, CA $133,100
- Santa Maria, CA $130,810
- Baltimore, MD $128,440
- Los Angeles, CA $127,890
- Riverside, CA $127,420
- San Francisco, CA $126,700
- Anchorage, AK $125,240
- San Diego, CA $124,840
- El Centro, CA $123,970
- Seattle, WA $123,820
- Bellingham, WA $122,840
- Bremerton, WA $121,100
- Portland, OR $119,350
- Roanoke, VA $114,050
- Stockton, CA $113,360
- Denver, CO $113,340
- Kiryas Joel, NY $111,860
- Burlington, VT $111,530
- Sioux Falls, SD $110,760
- Trenton, NJ $110,750
- Boston, MA $110,150
- Fresno, CA $109,720
- Springfield, MA $109,510
- Sacramento, CA $109,500
- Eugene, OR $109,460
- Brownsville, TX $109,300
- El Paso, TX $109,300
- Sandusky, OH $109,300
- Yakima, WA $108,890
- Vallejo, CA $108,430
- Sierra Vista, AZ $108,350
- Rochester, NY $107,660
- Reno, NV $107,470
- Spokane, WA $107,350
- San Angelo, TX $106,580
- New York, NY $106,440
- Las Cruces, NM $106,330
- Grand Junction, CO $106,270
- Watertown, NY $106,110
- Pueblo, CO $106,000
- Salinas, CA $105,990
- Ann Arbor, MI $105,780
- Tucson, AZ $105,350
- Omaha, NE $105,310
- Rockford, IL $104,150
- Modesto, CA $104,000
- Kennewick, WA $103,780
- McAllen, TX $103,380
- Boulder, CO $103,360
- Fort Collins, CO $103,140
- Bend, OR $103,000
- Vineland, NJ $102,980
- Madison, WI $102,780
- Santa Cruz, CA $102,710
- Chicago, IL $102,260
- Manchester, NH $101,500
- Barnstable Town, MA $100,680
- Atlantic City, NJ $99,860
- Lincoln, NE $99,760
- Missoula, MT $99,560
- Miami, FL $99,080
- Albany, NY $99,010
- Phoenix, AZ $98,860
- Hagerstown, MD $98,700
- Hartford, CT $98,690
- Bridgeport, CT $98,620
- Syracuse, NY $98,390
- Greeley, CO $98,370
- Mobile, AL $98,310
- Laredo, TX $98,180
- Salem, OR $97,750
- Philadelphia, PA $97,580
- Lancaster, PA $97,190
- New Haven, CT $96,790
- Bakersfield, CA $96,760
- Flint, MI $96,740
- Erie, PA $96,470
- Lynchburg, VA $96,430
- York, PA $96,070
- Detroit, MI $95,820
- Reading, PA $95,190
- Buffalo, NY $95,150
- Pittsburgh, PA $95,120
- Allentown, PA $94,800
- Yuma, AZ $94,520
- Las Vegas, NV $94,470
- Waterbury, CT $94,470
- Redding, CA $94,280
- Virginia Beach, VA $93,790
- Charlottesville, VA $93,160
- Lawrence, KS $93,020
- Milwaukee, WI $92,910
- Tampa, FL $92,420
- Charleston, WV $92,410
- Grand Rapids, MI $92,410
- Jacksonville, NC $92,410
- Cincinnati, OH $92,110
- Appleton, WI $92,030
- Kenosha, WI $91,820
- Eagle Pass, TX $91,560
- Kansas City, MO $91,490
- Binghamton, NY $91,470
- Huntsville, AL $91,230
- Richmond, VA $91,080
- Utica, NY $90,430
- State College, PA $90,250
- Corpus Christi, TX $89,970
- Cleveland, OH $89,300
- Worcester, MA $89,270
- Racine, WI $89,210
- Olympia, WA $88,790
- Springfield, IL $88,790
- Wausau, WI $88,780
- Bangor, ME $88,710