The average salary for a private detective in Illinois is around $60,630 per year.
Avg Salary
Private detectives earn an average yearly salary of $60,630.
Wages typically start from $29,040 and go up to $126,584.
3% above national average Updated in 2018
Private detective earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level private detective earnings begin at:
$60.86 per hour
$126,584 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level private detective earnings begin at:
$42.94 per hour
$89,319 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level private detective earnings begin at:
$29.15 per hour
$60,630 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level private detective earnings begin at:
$19.79 per hour
$41,156 per year
10th percentile
Starting level private detective earnings begin at:
$13.96 per hour
$29,040 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Private detective salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Nevada | $69,300 |
| District of Columbia | $68,940 |
| Alaska | $67,240 |
| California | $65,420 |
| Virginia | $65,170 |
| New Jersey | $62,060 |
| Illinois | $60,630 |
| New York | $59,780 |
| Idaho | $57,420 |
| Connecticut | $57,300 |
| Maryland | $56,580 |
| Rhode Island | $54,930 |
| Iowa | $54,360 |
| Massachusetts | $54,340 |
| New Mexico | $53,750 |
| Missouri | $53,010 |
| Oregon | $52,260 |
| Arizona | $52,060 |
| North Carolina | $51,370 |
| Hawaii | $51,200 |
| Colorado | $50,740 |
| Michigan | $50,620 |
| South Carolina | $50,440 |
| Alabama | $49,280 |
| New Hampshire | $48,930 |
| Washington | $48,920 |
| Kansas | $48,380 |
| Indiana | $48,250 |
| Georgia | $47,500 |
| Arkansas | $47,280 |
| Texas | $46,720 |
| Mississippi | $46,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,950 |
| Delaware | $45,380 |
| Kentucky | $45,000 |
| Tennessee | $44,680 |
| Louisiana | $44,490 |
| Wisconsin | $42,510 |
| Montana | $42,260 |
| West Virginia | $41,130 |
| Minnesota | $40,540 |
| Utah | $38,510 |
| Ohio | $38,080 |
| Oklahoma | $37,220 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,890 |
| Florida | $36,570 |
| South Dakota | $35,820 |
How do private detective salaries compare to similar careers?
Private detectives earn about the same as related careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than mail superintendents but more than insurance sales agents.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Mail superintendent salary | $74K |
| Firefighter salary | $54K |
| Probation officer salary | $68K |
| Real estate agent salary | $51K |
| Court reporter salary | $69K |
| Private detective salary | $61K |
| Energy auditor salary | $66K |
| Insurance appraiser salary | $66K |
| Locksmith salary | $51K |
| Insurance sales agent salary | $51K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)