Detective earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level detective earnings begin at:

$73.77 per hour

$153,440 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level detective earnings begin at:

$60.83 per hour

$126,520 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level detective earnings begin at:

$50.03 per hour

$104,060 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level detective earnings begin at:

$45.84 per hour

$95,350 per year

10th percentile

Starting level detective earnings begin at:

$31.06 per hour

$64,610 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Detective salary by state

State Name Average Salary
New Jersey $99,880
New York $99,630
Hawaii $99,580
Colorado $97,980
Massachusetts $97,980
Illinois $97,300
Connecticut $94,670
Virginia $93,520
Vermont $91,580
Arizona $91,350
Puerto Rico $88,880
Montana $83,640
Michigan $81,850
Wisconsin $81,850
Texas $81,170
New Hampshire $80,140
Iowa $78,710
Minnesota $78,670
Pennsylvania $78,540
Nevada $78,330
Rhode Island $78,330
West Virginia $78,250
Ohio $77,580
Delaware $77,480
New Mexico $77,480
Maine $76,910
North Dakota $76,730
Nebraska $73,550
Utah $69,010
Wyoming $68,730
Florida $67,930
Idaho $64,610
Kentucky $64,610
South Dakota $63,960
Alabama $62,380
Oklahoma $61,190
Tennessee $61,190
Indiana $60,850
Georgia $60,550
Missouri $60,520
Kansas $60,500
Louisiana $57,660
North Carolina $55,910
South Carolina $51,770
Mississippi $48,040
Arkansas $47,580
District of Columbia $133,930
Alaska $133,600
Maryland $113,360
California $104,060
Washington $101,860
Oregon $100,330

How do detective salaries compare to similar careers?

Detectives earn 15% less than similar careers in California. On average, they make less than lawyers but more than sheriffs.

Career Median Salary
Lawyer salary $163K
Compliance manager salary $151K
Makeup artist salary $164K
Hearing officer salary $135K
Detective salary $104K
Special agent salary $104K
Customs inspector salary $104K
Police officer salary $100K
Sheriff salary $100K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)