occupation · 33-3021 · detailed
Detectives and Criminal Investigators — wages and employment
Detectives and Criminal Investigators earned a median annual wage of $93,580 in the United States in May 2024, with 110,790 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Detectives and Criminal Investigators earned a median annual wage of $93,580 in the United States in May 2024, with 110,790 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $54,160 or less, the best-paid tenth $159,410 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $91,100 to $93,580, +2.7 %. The best-paying state is Maryland at $125,630; the lowest Arkansas at $53,460. Among metropolitan areas, Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV pays the highest median, $157,270. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 110,790 | $93,580 | $98,770 | $54,160 | $68,390 | $120,080 | $159,410 | $44.99 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 106,730 | $91,100 | $95,930 | $50,670 | $64,830 | $116,170 | $154,360 | $43.80 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $125,630 | 960 |
| California | $122,140 | 11,900 |
| Alaska | $121,140 | 130 |
| Washington | $116,450 | 1,680 |
| New Jersey | $113,830 | 3,000 |
| Hawaii | $112,100 | 440 |
| Massachusetts | $111,460 | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $110,220 | 3,170 |
| Oregon | $107,450 | 470 |
| Vermont | $104,330 | 210 |
| New York | $103,340 | 9,410 |
| Arizona | $103,270 | 5,220 |
| Colorado | $102,910 | 2,030 |
| Nebraska | $99,090 | 280 |
| Pennsylvania | $98,740 | 3,390 |
| Montana | $95,640 | 470 |
| Nevada | $95,590 | 580 |
| Connecticut | $95,420 | 890 |
| Wisconsin | $92,910 | 1,480 |
| Michigan | $92,560 | 2,050 |
| West Virginia | $90,690 | 210 |
| New Hampshire | $90,050 | 410 |
| Texas | $89,860 | 18,020 |
| Illinois | $89,740 | 3,100 |
| Rhode Island | $88,780 | 440 |
| Delaware | $88,350 | — |
| New Mexico | $86,840 | 2,000 |
| North Dakota | $84,580 | 420 |
| Minnesota | $82,330 | 1,770 |
| Maine | $80,750 | 540 |
| Wyoming | $80,250 | 170 |
| Missouri | $78,670 | 1,440 |
| Florida | $78,290 | 6,310 |
| Ohio | $77,940 | 2,120 |
| Idaho | $77,460 | 520 |
| Oklahoma | $77,440 | 1,280 |
| Kentucky | $77,440 | 700 |
| South Dakota | $77,440 | 230 |
| Iowa | $77,440 | 380 |
| Indiana | $74,600 | 1,240 |
| Utah | $74,530 | 560 |
| Tennessee | $72,800 | 1,960 |
| Kansas | $68,180 | 1,070 |
| Puerto Rico | $66,840 | 630 |
| Alabama | $66,020 | 1,290 |
| Georgia | $64,990 | 4,820 |
| South Carolina | $63,060 | 1,330 |
| North Carolina | $62,480 | 3,240 |
| Louisiana | $59,500 | 1,870 |
| Mississippi | $56,310 | 810 |
| Arkansas | $53,460 | 560 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $157,270 | 40 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $156,890 | 260 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $155,110 | 220 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $153,340 | 4,760 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $143,250 | 70 |
| Salinas, CA | $129,880 | 40 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $129,370 | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $127,980 | 3,070 |
| Great Falls, MT | $126,800 | 30 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $126,380 | 1,430 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $125,630 | 490 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $125,300 | 690 |
| Anchorage, AK | $124,400 | 90 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $122,450 | 680 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $121,530 | 290 |
| El Centro, CA | $121,330 | 730 |
| Bellingham, WA | $120,080 | 260 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $118,830 | 2,780 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $118,580 | 350 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $114,420 | 60 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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