How much do detectives make?

Detective salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Detectives and Criminal Investigators (SOC 33-3021) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Detectives in the US earned a median of $93,790 a year ($45.09 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $69,330 to $120,520.

Median annual pay: $93,790; Mean $99,430
Median hourly pay: $45.09; Mean $47.80
Typical range (10th–90th): $55.4K–$161K; $55,390 to $160,540
US jobs: 114,430; +0.2% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a detective: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: District of Columbia

Detective pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$55,390
25th percentile$69,330
Median$93,790
75th percentile$120,520
90th percentile$160,540

Half of all detectives earned more than $93,790 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $55,390; the top 10% made over $160,540. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $69,330 to $120,520.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$55,390	$26.63	$4,616
25th	$69,330	$33.33	$5,778
Median (50th)	$93,790	$45.09	$7,816
75th	$120,520	$57.94	$10,043
90th	$160,540	$77.18	$13,378
Mean (average)	$99,430	$47.80	$8,286

Detective salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for detectives by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. District of Columbia $160,760
2. Maryland $126,730
3. California $124,840
4. Delaware $122,050
5. New Jersey $116,300

Lowest-paying states

51. Arkansas $54,500
50. Mississippi $58,640
49. Louisiana $60,450
48. South Carolina $62,760
47. North Carolina $63,280

Best after cost of living: District of Columbia. Its median of $160,760 is worth about $146,277 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$66,290	45	$74,632	44	$31.87	1,340	0.64
Alaska	$114,940	7	$112,291	5	$55.26	140	0.42
Arizona	$102,340	14	$101,652	16	$49.20	5,250	1.62
Arkansas	$54,500	51	$62,689	51	$26.20	560	0.43
California	$124,840	3	$112,753	4	$60.02	12,610	0.69
Colorado	$105,480	13	$102,356	15	$50.71	1,930	0.67
Connecticut	$95,240	18	$91,922	26	$45.79	940	0.56
Delaware	$122,050	4	$122,285	2	$58.68	140	0.29
District of Columbia	$160,760	1	$146,277	1	$77.29	2,980	4.25
Florida	$77,060	39	$74,516	45	$37.05	6,440	0.65
Georgia	$65,430	46	$67,949	47	$31.46	5,070	1.04
Hawaii	$113,940	8	$103,628	13	$54.78	440	0.70
Idaho	$72,520	42	$75,942	42	$34.86	630	0.74
Illinois	$91,190	22	$91,228	28	$43.84	3,270	0.54
Indiana	$70,340	44	$75,368	43	$33.82	1,280	0.40
Iowa	$79,560	34	$90,654	30	$38.25	410	0.26
Kansas	$75,740	40	$84,092	36	$36.41	1,060	0.73
Kentucky	$71,670	43	$79,493	41	$34.46	720	0.36
Louisiana	$60,450	49	$68,532	46	$29.06	1,740	0.90
Maine	$88,310	28	$90,994	29	$42.46	550	0.86
Maryland	$126,730	2	$120,742	3	$60.93	1,010	0.36
Massachusetts	$110,150	10	$104,154	11	$52.96	1,300	0.36
Michigan	$90,650	24	$94,214	21	$43.58	2,220	0.51
Minnesota	$80,000	33	$81,119	39	$38.46	1,970	0.67
Mississippi	$58,640	50	$67,439	48	$28.19	810	0.70
Missouri	$75,650	41	$83,299	38	$36.37	1,600	0.54
Montana	$92,410	20	$97,639	18	$44.43	500	0.97
Nebraska	$100,530	16	$111,572	6	$48.33	290	0.28
Nevada	$94,470	19	$94,490	20	$45.42	590	0.38
New Hampshire	$89,290	26	$85,720	34	$42.93	290	0.43
New Jersey	$116,300	5	$106,888	10	$55.92	3,080	0.72
New Mexico	$86,840	29	$94,174	22	$41.75	2,020	2.31
New York	$101,240	15	$93,809	23	$48.67	9,600	0.99
North Carolina	$63,280	47	$67,086	49	$30.43	3,360	0.68
North Dakota	$82,290	30	$92,503	25	$39.56	420	0.97
Ohio	$79,300	35	$85,477	35	$38.13	2,140	0.39
Oklahoma	$80,430	32	$91,561	27	$38.67	1,220	0.71
Oregon	$107,450	11	$103,956	12	$51.66	520	0.27
Pennsylvania	$97,580	17	$100,008	17	$46.91	3,370	0.56
Rhode Island	$88,450	27	$86,478	33	$42.52	360	0.72
South Carolina	$62,760	48	$66,945	50	$30.17	1,470	0.64
South Dakota	$77,730	37	$87,745	32	$37.37	250	0.55
Tennessee	$77,090	38	$83,912	37	$37.06	1,860	0.57
Texas	$90,510	25	$93,254	24	$43.51	18,870	1.34
Utah	$78,920	36	$79,827	40	$37.94	550	0.32
Vermont	$106,330	12	$108,547	8	$51.12	190	0.63
Virginia	$112,760	9	$111,529	7	$54.21	3,180	0.78
Washington	$115,790	6	$108,202	9	$55.67	1,850	0.52
West Virginia	$92,410	21	$103,255	14	$44.43	220	0.31
Wisconsin	$91,040	23	$96,753	19	$43.77	1,640	0.56
Wyoming	$81,880	31	$88,337	31	$39.37	170	0.61

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for detectives

287 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$158,640	$143,666	280
Brunswick-St. Simons, GA	$158,060	$180,212	240
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$156,750	$143,961	4,830
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$153,570	$138,935	70
Urban Honolulu, HI	$140,750	$126,846	350
Great Falls, MT	$136,120	$140,554	40
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$133,100	$123,488	60
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$130,810	$120,232	40
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$128,440	$122,924	490
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$127,890	$112,613	3,240

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	7,580	$106,440	$94,560
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	4,830	$156,750	$143,961
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	3,240	$127,890	$112,613
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	3,070	$69,900	$69,859
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	2,990	$124,840	$111,577
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	2,290	$102,260	$98,711
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	2,160	$97,580	$95,150
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	2,110	$99,080	$86,794
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	1,870	$86,390	$87,591
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	1,830	$86,110	$83,529

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves detective pay: employers and settings

The level of government you work for is the biggest pay factor for detectives. Federal agents earn a median of $118,390 against $79,690 in state government and $78,280 in local government. Within the federal group, Postal Service inspectors and investigators earn $117,020. Because federal agents make up about 36% of the occupation, the national median of $93,790 sits well above the local government median.

Location matters a great deal for local and state jobs. The District of Columbia, with a heavy federal presence, has the highest median at $160,760, and is still first after living costs ($146,277 adjusted). Maryland at $126,730, and California at $124,840, are next. The lowest medians are in Mississippi at $58,640, and Arkansas at $54,500.

Pay ranges from $55,390, the 10th percentile, to $160,540, the 90th. Rank, the department's union contract, overtime, shift differentials, court time and specialty assignments all push individual earnings up or down.

Where detectives work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	42.6%	$78,280
Federal Executive Branch	36%	$119,500
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	20.7%	$79,770
Postal Service (Federal Government)	0.3%	$117,020
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	0.2%	$79,450
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	0%	$87,100

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	120	$83,130
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	41,630	$118,390
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	23,890	$79,690
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	48,780	$78,280

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Detective pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$93.8K $77.2K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $77,210 in 2015 to $93,790 in 2025, up 21% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $104,373 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 10% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What detectives do

A detective, also called a criminal investigator, works a crime after the first officers have left the scene. Detectives gather facts and evidence, interview victims, witnesses and suspects, write search and arrest warrants, and build a case file that prosecutors can take to court. Many testify at trials. In local police departments and sheriff's offices, detectives usually specialize: homicide, robbery, sex crimes, narcotics, fraud, computer crimes or juvenile cases.

About 43% of detectives work for local governments, mostly city police and county sheriff's departments, and about 21% for state agencies such as state police and attorney general's offices. The other large group, about 36%, are federal special agents at agencies like the FBI, DEA, Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations and inspector general offices. Detectives split time between the office, crime scenes, courtrooms and the street. The job brings exposure to violence and grief, on-call nights and weekends, and paid overtime when a case breaks. Federal agents may travel or relocate often.

A typical day

Review incident reports and decide which leads to follow on each assigned case
Interview victims, witnesses and suspects, and record their statements
Collect and track evidence, working with crime lab and forensic staff
Pull phone, bank, video and computer records, often with court orders
Write affidavits for search and arrest warrants, then carry them out with other officers
Run surveillance and coordinate with prosecutors and other agencies
Prepare case files and testify in court hearings and trials

Also called: criminal investigator, homicide detective, fbi agent, special agent, csi (crime scene investigator), fugitive detective, fugitive investigator, investigator.

How to become a detective

Full guide

Most detectives start as police officers: you need at least a high school diploma (many departments want college credits), must be about 21 or older, finish a state-certified police academy, and work patrol for several years before being promoted. Federal special agents, such as FBI agents, need a bachelor's degree plus qualifying experience, or an advanced degree.

Typical time: About 5 years after joining a police department; Fastest: Under 5 years (academy plus a shorter patrol period in departments that promote quickly)
Minimum education: High school diploma or equivalent for most police departments; bachelor's degree for the FBI and many other federal agencies
License: State peace officer certification (POST or equivalent board) for sworn state and local officers, with rules set by each state; detective rank itself is an internal promotion
Typical training cost: $0–$38.6K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a detective: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: About 5 years after joining a police department; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $0–$38.6K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $93,790; $42,810 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 0–41%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($42,810 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (about 5 years after joining a police department in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for detectives

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +0.2%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 120,500; 120,700 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 7,800; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 0.2%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects almost no change in the number of detectives and criminal investigators: from 120,500 in 2025 to 120,700 in 2035, a 0.2% gain, compared with 3.5% for all jobs. Still, about 7,800 openings are expected each year, mainly because investigators retire or move into other work. Hiring depends heavily on city, county, state and federal budgets, so openings vary a lot by location and year.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Detective salary FAQ

How much do detectives make an hour?

The median hourly wage for detectives was $45.09 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $26.63 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $77.18. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays detectives the most?

District of Columbia has the highest median pay for detectives, $160,760 a year, followed by Maryland ($126,730) and California ($124,840). After adjusting for each state's price level, District of Columbia comes out ahead at about $146,277 in national-average dollars.

Do detectives make six figures?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 25% and 50% of detectives earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $93,790, and the top 10% earn more than $160,540. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between a detective and a police officer?

A police officer patrols, answers calls and makes arrests on the spot. A detective takes over cases that need follow-up: tracking down witnesses, gathering records and evidence, and building a case for prosecutors. In most local departments, detectives start as patrol officers and are promoted or assigned to investigations after several years, often through a written test and interview.

What is the difference between a detective and a private investigator?

Police detectives and federal agents are sworn law enforcement officers who can make arrests, carry out warrants and investigate crimes for prosecution. A private investigator works for clients such as lawyers, businesses or individuals, has no arrest powers beyond those of a private citizen, and in most states needs a separate private investigator license.

Is an FBI agent a detective?

In BLS data, yes. FBI special agents are counted with detectives and criminal investigators, along with agents at other federal agencies. The work is similar, investigating crimes and building cases, but federal agents handle federal crimes such as terrorism, public corruption, cybercrime and fraud, and they often work cases across states and countries.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 33-3021
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (33-3021.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Police and Detectives, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Detectives and Criminal Investigators (33-3021.00), O*NET OnLine · checked October 28, 2026
How old do you have to be to become an agent?, Federal Bureau of Investigation · checked October 28, 2026
Criminal Investigator Training Program, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers · checked October 28, 2026
IADLEST: International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training, International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training · checked October 28, 2026
Special Agent Application and Evaluation Process, Federal Bureau of Investigation · checked October 28, 2026
Special Agents, FBI Jobs (Federal Bureau of Investigation) · checked October 28, 2026

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