The average salary for a detective in the United States is around $83,170 per year.
Avg Salary
Detectives earn an average yearly salary of $83,170.
Wages typically start from $44,860 and go up to $139,180.
29% above national average Updated in 2019
Detective earnings by seniority
Top-level detective earnings begin at:
$66.91 per hour
$139,180 per year
Senior-level detective earnings begin at:
$51.47 per hour
$107,050 per year
Mid-level detective earnings begin at:
$39.99 per hour
$83,170 per year
Junior-level detective earnings begin at:
$28.31 per hour
$58,890 per year
Starting level detective earnings begin at:
$21.57 per hour
$44,860 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Detective salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | $97,830 |
| Massachusetts | $94,560 |
| Virginia | $93,550 |
| Oregon | $92,610 |
| Illinois | $88,091 |
| Pennsylvania | $85,730 |
| Connecticut | $85,310 |
| Washington | $84,580 |
| New York | $84,340 |
| Colorado | $83,940 |
| North Dakota | $83,170 |
| New Mexico | $83,170 |
| Vermont | $83,170 |
| Montana | $83,160 |
| Texas | $82,260 |
| Nevada | $81,160 |
| Michigan | $80,300 |
| Arizona | $77,596 |
| Rhode Island | $77,290 |
| Wisconsin | $74,470 |
| Minnesota | $72,780 |
| Wyoming | $72,150 |
| New Hampshire | $71,960 |
| Indiana | $71,912 |
| Delaware | $70,590 |
| Ohio | $67,970 |
| Idaho | $67,690 |
| Nebraska | $67,620 |
| Iowa | $66,810 |
| Missouri | $66,000 |
| Utah | $65,870 |
| Maine | $65,840 |
| Florida | $64,450 |
| Kansas | $61,985 |
| South Dakota | $61,130 |
| Tennessee | $58,310 |
| Oklahoma | $57,400 |
| Alabama | $54,870 |
| Kentucky | $53,820 |
| Georgia | $53,640 |
| Mississippi | $52,470 |
| Louisiana | $51,160 |
| North Carolina | $50,920 |
| Puerto Rico | $50,560 |
| South Carolina | $48,270 |
| Arkansas | $44,700 |
| District of Columbia | $133,330 |
| Alaska | $129,090 |
| Hawaii | $106,630 |
| Maryland | $106,000 |
| New Jersey | $103,530 |
| California | $100,310 |
How much does a Detective earn?
Detectives can work at all levels of government. The BLS (2011) says those employed by local governments earned $62,900 a year on average and those working for state governments averaged $59,390. Detectives employed by the federal government made $96,680 on average, and those working for the U.S. Postal Service averaged $89,860.
Detectives working in large, metropolitan areas or for investigation/departments of public safety are more often afforded higher salaries, due to the caseload they are required to take on. State agencies are also likely to pay criminal investigators a higher salary than police/sheriff’s departments at the local level. A number of city police departments and county sheriff’s departments offer education incentives, which allow detectives to earn a percentage above base pay, depending on the type of degree they carry. BLS statistics reported that, as of May 2013, detectives in the federal executive branch received the highest pay of all industries, with an annual mean wage of $103,180.
According to the BLS, the top salaries for detectives by state are: District of Columbia: $116,210; Alaska: $109,930; New Jersey: $100,140; Delaware: 98,710; California: $97,270.
How do detective salaries compare to similar careers?
Detectives earn 8% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than judges but more than mail superintendents.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Judge salary | $137K |
| Make-Up artist salary | $67K |
| Hearing officer salary | $98K |
| Detective salary | $83K |
| Customs inspector salary | $83K |
| Special agent salary | $83K |
| Urban planner salary | $74K |
| Mail superintendent salary | $77K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)