United States
Private Detectives and Investigators salary in the United States
Median annual pay
$52,370
Private Detectives and Investigators in the United States earn a median of $52,370 a year, about $25.18 an hour.
Median
$52,370
per year
Hourly
$25.18
as published
Mean
$61,680
pulled up by top earners
Workers
38,700
in this occupation
Where it pays more in the United States
Median pay for this occupation by area, highest-employing first.
| Area | Type | Median | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | State | $60,210 | +15% |
| Florida | State | $48,880 | -7% |
| Texas | State | $48,070 | -8% |
| New York | State | $59,840 | +14% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Metro | $59,950 | +14% |
| Illinois | State | $73,070 | +40% |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Metro | $59,840 | +14% |
| Pennsylvania | State | $51,220 | -2% |
| North Carolina | State | $55,190 | +5% |
| Ohio | State | $50,060 | -4% |
| Georgia | State | $44,590 | -15% |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Metro | $77,680 | +48% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Metro | $50,860 | -3% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Metro | $54,080 | +3% |
| Arizona | State | $64,960 | +24% |
| Michigan | State | $49,700 | -5% |
| Minnesota | State | $72,070 | +38% |
| Virginia | State | $48,740 | -7% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Metro | $44,590 | -15% |
| Louisiana | State | $43,390 | -17% |
| Washington | State | $65,370 | +25% |
| New Jersey | State | $51,540 | -2% |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Metro | $75,230 | +44% |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | Metro | $74,720 | +43% |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Metro | $43,310 | -17% |
Regional figures come from the same release as the national one. Where an area is missing, the source suppressed it for sample-size reasons rather than reporting an unreliable estimate.
How United States measured this
Employer payroll survey of ~1.1m establishments
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 · Public domain (US Government work)
Related occupations in the United States
- Security Guards $38,370
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $76,290
- Correctional Officers and Jailers $57,970
- Firefighters $59,530
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- Detectives and Criminal Investigators $93,580
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $92,430
- Crossing Guards and Flaggers $37,700
- Protective Service Workers, All Other $41,600
- School Bus Monitors $34,980
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers $58,610