Detective earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level detective earnings begin at:

$63.39 per hour

$131,850 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level detective earnings begin at:

$40.21 per hour

$83,640 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level detective earnings begin at:

$29.10 per hour

$60,520 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level detective earnings begin at:

$23.01 per hour

$47,850 per year

10th percentile

Starting level detective earnings begin at:

$18.18 per hour

$37,810 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 21% less than similar careers in Missouri. On average, they make less than hearing officers but more than fire inspectors.

Career Median Salary
Hearing officer salary $145K
Lawyer salary $104K
Compliance manager salary $103K
Customs inspector salary $61K
Detective salary $61K
Special agent salary $61K
Private detective salary $77K
Fire inspector salary $77K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)