Private Detectives and Investigators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for private detectives and 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$88,260
- Oregon$74,690
- Washington$71,020
- Massachusetts$70,110
- New Hampshire$69,350
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$44,210
- Louisiana$46,110
- Mississippi$46,370
- Oklahoma$46,450
- North Dakota$47,230
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $88,260 | $72,720 | $42 | +46.7% | — |
| 2 | Oregon | $74,690 | $76,480 | $36 | +24.2% | 610 |
| 3 | Washington | $71,020 | $64,080 | $34 | +18.1% | 750 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $70,110 | $50,240 | $34 | +16.6% | 280 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $69,350 | $65,370 | $33 | +15.3% | 280 |
| 6 | New York | $68,310 | $59,140 | $33 | +13.6% | 1,300 |
| 7 | California | $67,040 | $61,250 | $32 | +11.5% | 4,190 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $66,560 | $75,010 | $32 | +10.7% | 400 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $66,510 | $57,880 | $32 | +10.6% | 600 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $66,160 | $54,710 | $32 | +10% | 410 |
| 11 | Illinois | $64,440 | $60,210 | $31 | +7.1% | 1,300 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $63,810 | $49,360 | $31 | +6.1% | 940 |
| 13 | Vermont | $63,670 | $67,910 | $31 | +5.9% | 90 |
| 14 | Arizona | $62,410 | $61,030 | $30 | +3.8% | 790 |
| 15 | Alaska | $62,190 | $53,440 | $30 | +3.4% | 70 |
| 16 | Virginia | $61,940 | $56,160 | $30 | +3% | 1,280 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $61,350 | $52,890 | $30 | +2% | 1,710 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $60,960 | $54,620 | $29 | +1.3% | 60 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $59,880 | $51,200 | $29 | -0.4% | 1,220 |
| 20 | Utah | $59,830 | $57,910 | $29 | -0.5% | 350 |
| 21 | Delaware | $59,230 | $55,710 | $28 | -1.5% | 110 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $58,980 | $51,530 | $28 | -1.9% | 620 |
| 23 | Colorado | $58,910 | $48,730 | $28 | -2.1% | 540 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $58,800 | $54,310 | $28 | -2.2% | 40 |
| 25 | Texas | $58,670 | $51,810 | $28 | -2.5% | 3,220 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $58,140 | $51,750 | $28 | -3.3% | 160 |
| 27 | Arkansas | $57,940 | $47,750 | $28 | -3.7% | 370 |
| 28 | Ohio | $56,980 | $47,200 | $27 | -5.3% | 1,560 |
| 29 | Florida | $55,820 | $50,640 | $27 | -7.2% | 3,660 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $54,920 | $45,750 | $26 | -8.7% | 70 |
| 31 | Georgia | $54,730 | $45,060 | $26 | -9% | 1,460 |
| 32 | Idaho | $54,530 | $47,910 | $26 | -9.3% | 210 |
| 33 | Michigan | $53,850 | $48,650 | $26 | -10.5% | 850 |
| 34 | Montana | $52,540 | $47,430 | $25 | -12.7% | 70 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $51,130 | $47,650 | $25 | -15% | 350 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $50,660 | $41,850 | $24 | -15.8% | 410 |
| 37 | Kansas | $50,220 | $45,260 | $24 | -16.5% | 280 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $49,600 | $46,410 | $24 | -17.5% | 170 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $49,550 | $41,600 | $24 | -17.6% | — |
| 40 | Indiana | $49,080 | $41,830 | $24 | -18.4% | 480 |
| 41 | Alabama | $48,750 | $46,810 | $23 | -19% | 530 |
| 42 | Maine | $48,590 | $43,830 | $23 | -19.2% | 210 |
| 43 | Iowa | $48,190 | $41,110 | $23 | -19.9% | 170 |
| 44 | Missouri | $48,150 | $41,600 | $23 | -20% | 590 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $47,230 | $44,310 | $23 | -21.5% | 60 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $46,450 | $39,680 | $22 | -22.8% | 370 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $46,370 | $39,060 | $22 | -22.9% | 330 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $46,110 | $41,950 | $22 | -23.3% | 860 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $44,210 | $44,840 | $21 | -26.5% | 60 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 175 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $99,680 | $78,160 | 310 |
| 2 | Salem, OR | $81,070 | $78,540 | 180 |
| 3 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $78,330 | $77,440 | 270 |
| 4 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $77,540 | $68,320 | 150 |
| 5 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $76,630 | $63,850 | 50 |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $75,670 | $77,230 | 430 |
| 7 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $73,430 | $74,090 | 860 |
| 8 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $70,780 | $73,260 | 100 |
| 9 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $70,220 | $71,820 | 410 |
| 10 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $70,190 | $66,800 | 50 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing private detectives and investigatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sector 42 - Wholesale Trade | $108,930 | $102,700 | 30 |
| 2 | Natural Gas Distribution | $106,980 | $112,890 | 50 |
| 3 | Pharmacies and Drug Retailers | $106,150 | $107,710 | 40 |
| 4 | Health and Personal Care Retailers | $103,450 | $94,210 | 50 |
| 5 | Health and Personal Care Retailers | $103,450 | $94,210 | 50 |
| 6 | Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing | $102,640 | $100,010 | 100 |
| 7 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | $101,550 | $99,160 | 150 |
| 8 | Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $97,780 | $94,250 | 460 |
| 9 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $97,640 | $100,370 | 70 |
| 10 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $97,640 | $105,430 | 30 |
| 11 | Telecommunications | $89,920 | $87,970 | 350 |
| 12 | Couriers and Messengers | $89,440 | $88,260 | 850 |
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 private detectives and investigators make in the U.S.?
The median private detectives and investigators salary in the United States is $51,220 per year (mean $60,150), and about 80% earn between $36,740 and $97,630.
How much do private detectives and investigators make per hour?
Roughly $29 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $60,150 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays private detectives and investigators the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for private detectives and investigators at $88,260 per year (median $72,720).
What is the job outlook for private detectives and investigators?
Employment is projected to change +6% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 3,900 openings per year.