Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for detectives and criminal investigatorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$148,110
- Maryland$130,040
- Alaska$125,160
- Hawaii$124,610
- California$121,530
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$68,840
- Mississippi$71,020
- Louisiana$71,160
- North Carolina$76,020
- South Carolina$77,020
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $148,110 | $160,760 | $71 | +49% | 2,980 |
| 2 | Maryland | $130,040 | $126,730 | $63 | +30.8% | 1,010 |
| 3 | Alaska | $125,160 | $114,940 | $60 | +25.9% | 140 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $124,610 | $113,940 | $60 | +25.3% | 440 |
| 5 | California | $121,530 | $124,840 | $58 | +22.2% | 12,610 |
| 6 | Virginia | $119,620 | $112,760 | $58 | +20.3% | 3,180 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $118,130 | $110,150 | $57 | +18.8% | 1,300 |
| 8 | Washington | $118,040 | $115,790 | $57 | +18.7% | 1,850 |
| 9 | Delaware | $117,730 | $122,050 | $57 | +18.4% | 140 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $116,540 | $116,300 | $56 | +17.2% | 3,080 |
| 11 | Oregon | $113,430 | $107,450 | $55 | +14.1% | 520 |
| 12 | Colorado | $109,010 | $105,480 | $52 | +9.6% | 1,930 |
| 13 | New York | $105,880 | $101,240 | $51 | +6.5% | 9,600 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $104,670 | $89,290 | $50 | +5.3% | 290 |
| 15 | Vermont | $104,220 | $106,330 | $50 | +4.8% | 190 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $103,850 | $100,530 | $50 | +4.4% | 290 |
| 17 | Michigan | $103,190 | $90,650 | $50 | +3.8% | 2,220 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $102,070 | $92,410 | $49 | +2.7% | 220 |
| 19 | Nevada | $101,950 | $94,470 | $49 | +2.5% | 590 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $101,890 | $95,240 | $49 | +2.5% | 940 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $101,760 | $97,580 | $49 | +2.3% | 3,370 |
| 22 | Arizona | $100,000 | $102,340 | $48 | +0.6% | 5,250 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $98,430 | $88,450 | $47 | -1% | 360 |
| 24 | Illinois | $97,480 | $91,190 | $47 | -2% | 3,270 |
| 25 | Montana | $93,800 | $92,410 | $45 | -5.7% | 500 |
| 26 | Florida | $93,020 | $77,060 | $45 | -6.4% | 6,440 |
| 27 | Maine | $92,920 | $88,310 | $45 | -6.5% | 550 |
| 28 | Texas | $92,030 | $90,510 | $44 | -7.4% | 18,870 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $91,890 | $81,880 | $44 | -7.6% | 170 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $91,060 | $77,730 | $44 | -8.4% | 250 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $90,620 | $91,040 | $44 | -8.9% | 1,640 |
| 32 | Ohio | $90,600 | $79,300 | $44 | -8.9% | 2,140 |
| 33 | Utah | $89,940 | $78,920 | $43 | -9.5% | 550 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $88,310 | $82,290 | $42 | -11.2% | 420 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $87,860 | $80,000 | $42 | -11.6% | 1,970 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $87,790 | $77,090 | $42 | -11.7% | 1,860 |
| 37 | Iowa | $87,110 | $79,560 | $42 | -12.4% | 410 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $86,900 | $71,670 | $42 | -12.6% | 720 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $86,620 | $80,430 | $42 | -12.9% | 1,220 |
| 40 | Missouri | $85,720 | $75,650 | $41 | -13.8% | 1,600 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $84,880 | $86,840 | $41 | -14.6% | 2,020 |
| 42 | Idaho | $81,570 | $72,520 | $39 | -18% | 630 |
| 43 | Alabama | $79,070 | $66,290 | $38 | -20.5% | 1,340 |
| 44 | Kansas | $78,750 | $75,740 | $38 | -20.8% | 1,060 |
| 45 | Georgia | $78,140 | $65,430 | $38 | -21.4% | 5,070 |
| 46 | Indiana | $77,610 | $70,340 | $37 | -21.9% | 1,280 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $77,020 | $62,760 | $37 | -22.5% | 1,470 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $76,020 | $63,280 | $37 | -23.5% | 3,360 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $71,160 | $60,450 | $34 | -28.4% | 1,740 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $71,020 | $58,640 | $34 | -28.6% | 810 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $68,840 | $54,500 | $33 | -30.8% | 560 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 397 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $158,640 | $144,580 | 280 |
| 2 | Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $158,060 | $148,490 | 240 |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $156,750 | $146,910 | 4,830 |
| 4 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $153,570 | $138,040 | 70 |
| 5 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $140,750 | $129,430 | 350 |
| 6 | Great Falls, MT | $136,120 | $121,670 | 40 |
| 7 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $133,100 | $125,820 | 60 |
| 8 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $130,810 | $129,740 | 40 |
| 9 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $128,440 | $134,010 | 490 |
| 10 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $127,890 | $126,590 | 3,240 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing detectives and criminal investigatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $119,500 | $127,760 | 41,230 |
| 2 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $118,390 | $127,700 | 41,630 |
| 3 | Postal Service (Federal Government) | $117,020 | $121,530 | 400 |
| 4 | Postal Service (Federal Government) | $117,020 | $121,530 | 400 |
| 5 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $117,020 | $121,530 | 400 |
| 6 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $93,790 | $99,440 | 114,300 |
| 7 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $93,790 | $99,430 | 114,430 |
| 8 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $93,710 | $99,400 | 113,700 |
| 9 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $93,710 | $99,400 | 113,700 |
| 10 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $91,830 | $90,910 | 40 |
| 11 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $89,070 | $85,220 | 110 |
| 12 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $89,070 | $85,220 | 110 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do detectives and criminal investigators make in the U.S.?
The median detectives and criminal investigators salary in the United States is $93,790 per year (mean $99,430), and about 80% earn between $55,390 and $160,540.
How much do detectives and criminal investigators make per hour?
Roughly $48 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $99,430 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays detectives and criminal investigators the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for detectives and criminal investigators at $148,110 per year (median $160,760).
What is the job outlook for detectives and criminal investigators?
Employment is projected to change -0.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 7,800 openings per year.