Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salary
Protective Service Occupations · 114K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$93,790
Median hourly
$45
Average annual
$99,430
Typical range
$55,390–$160,540
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Detectives and Criminal Investigators is $93,790 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $45 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes..
Most earn between $55,390 and $160,540 a year. There are roughly 114K people employed as detectives and criminal investigators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Detectives and Criminal Investigators.
- Hourly
- $45.09
- Daily
- $361
- Weekly
- $1,804
- Bi-weekly
- $3,607
- Monthly
- $7,816
- Annual
- $93,790
$93,790 a year is around the 50th percentile for Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss. The median is $93,790.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$160,760
- 2Maryland$126,730
- 3California$124,840
- 4Delaware$122,050
- 5New Jersey$116,300
- 6Washington$115,790
- 7Alaska$114,940
- 8Hawaii$113,940
- 9Virginia$112,760
- 10Massachusetts$110,150
- 11Oregon$107,450
- 12Vermont$106,330
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$158,640
- 2Brunswick-St. Simons, GA$158,060
- 3Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$156,750
- 4Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$153,570
- 5Urban Honolulu, HI$140,750
- 6Great Falls, MT$136,120
- 7Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$133,100
- 8Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$130,810
- 9Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$128,440
- 10Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$127,890
- 11Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$127,420
- 12San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$126,700
Related job titles
Employers advertise Detectives and Criminal Investigators roles under these titles.
- Accident Examiner
- Accident Reconstructionist
- AI Consultant (Artificial Intelligence Consultant)
- Air Marshal
- All Source Intelligence Analyst
- Anti-Terrorist Analyst
- Burglary Investigator
- Child Support Agent
- Child Support Investigator
- Child Support Officer
- CIA Agent (Central Intelligence Agency Agent)
- City Detective
- Computer Forensic Examiner
- Computer Forensic Specialist
- Computer Network Defense Analyst
- Corrections Identification Technician
Related occupations
- Computer Occupations, All Other$116,580
- Forensic Science Technicians$72,060
- Private Detectives and Investigators$51,220
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators$93,790
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210
- Compliance Officers$80,730
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$106,040
- Financial Specialists, All Other$81,100
What a Detectives and Criminal Investigators does
- Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.
- Block or rope off scene and check perimeter to ensure that entire scene is secured.
- Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed.
- Notify, or request notification of, medical examiner or district attorney representative.
- Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.
- Obtain summary of incident from officer in charge at crime scene, taking care to avoid disturbing evidence.
- Note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene.
- Secure persons at scene, keeping witnesses from conversing or leaving the scene before investigators arrive.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Detectives and Criminal Investigators make?
- The median annual wage for Detectives and Criminal Investigators is $93,790 ($45 per hour). Pay ranges from about $55,390 at the 10th percentile to $160,540 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Detectives and Criminal Investigators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $99,430, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $160,760.
- Is Detectives and Criminal Investigators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 114K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Detectives and Criminal Investigators do?
- Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.; Block or rope off scene and check perimeter to ensure that entire scene is secured.; Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed..