Detectives and criminal investigators salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $55,390 | $26.63 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $93,790 | $45.09 |
| Mean (average) | $99,430 | $47.80 |
| 90th percentile | $160,540 | $77.18 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Detectives and criminal investigators pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $66,290 | $43,060 | $150,780 | 1,340 | 0.86 |
| Alaska | $114,940 | $79,680 | $183,680 | 140 | 0.58 |
| Arizona | $102,340 | $60,590 | $142,380 | 5,250 | 2.2 |
| Arkansas | $54,500 | $41,380 | $144,890 | 560 | 0.58 |
| California | $124,840 | $78,280 | $165,510 | 12,610 | 0.94 |
| Colorado | $105,480 | $73,010 | $161,550 | 1,930 | 0.91 |
| Connecticut | $95,240 | $78,990 | $130,540 | 940 | 0.75 |
| Delaware | $122,050 | $65,830 | $164,510 | 140 | 0.4 |
| District of Columbia | $160,760 | $94,220 | $195,190 | 2,980 | 5.78 |
| Florida | $77,060 | $50,050 | $162,450 | 6,440 | 0.88 |
| Georgia | $65,430 | $46,790 | $149,030 | 5,070 | 1.41 |
| Hawaii | $113,940 | $92,520 | $165,030 | 440 | 0.95 |
| Idaho | $72,520 | $53,120 | $125,550 | 630 | 1 |
| Illinois | $91,190 | $53,960 | $157,060 | 3,270 | 0.73 |
| Indiana | $70,340 | $45,480 | $127,790 | 1,280 | 0.54 |
| Iowa | $79,560 | $58,930 | $141,650 | 410 | 0.36 |
| Kansas | $75,740 | $49,610 | $114,030 | 1,060 | 1 |
| Kentucky | $71,670 | $51,640 | $149,280 | 720 | 0.49 |
| Louisiana | $60,450 | $39,020 | $131,730 | 1,740 | 1.22 |
| Maine | $88,310 | $63,290 | $120,430 | 550 | 1.17 |
| Maryland | $126,730 | $71,200 | $188,700 | 1,010 | 0.5 |
| Massachusetts | $110,150 | $76,150 | $179,030 | 1,300 | 0.49 |
| Michigan | $90,650 | $71,590 | $164,670 | 2,220 | 0.69 |
| Minnesota | $80,000 | $59,710 | $115,210 | 1,970 | 0.91 |
| Mississippi | $58,640 | $41,260 | $136,120 | 810 | 0.95 |
| Missouri | $75,650 | $49,190 | $151,720 | 1,600 | 0.74 |
| Montana | $92,410 | $58,670 | $144,000 | 500 | 1.32 |
| Nebraska | $100,530 | $68,900 | $155,210 | 290 | 0.38 |
| Nevada | $94,470 | $60,920 | $152,480 | 590 | 0.52 |
| New Hampshire | $89,290 | $74,690 | $174,050 | 290 | 0.58 |
| New Jersey | $116,300 | $73,100 | $165,570 | 3,080 | 0.98 |
| New Mexico | $86,840 | $47,480 | $111,970 | 2,020 | 3.15 |
| New York | $101,240 | $62,130 | $166,800 | 9,600 | 1.35 |
| North Carolina | $63,280 | $50,260 | $137,550 | 3,360 | 0.92 |
| North Dakota | $82,290 | $58,350 | $129,230 | 420 | 1.31 |
| Ohio | $79,300 | $56,840 | $151,200 | 2,140 | 0.52 |
| Oklahoma | $80,430 | $51,420 | $136,120 | 1,220 | 0.97 |
| Oregon | $107,450 | $81,990 | $158,060 | 520 | 0.36 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,580 | $63,770 | $154,360 | 3,370 | 0.76 |
| Puerto Rico | $70,760 | $38,020 | $153,670 | 620 | 0.9 |
| Rhode Island | $88,450 | $75,910 | $159,140 | 360 | 0.98 |
| South Carolina | $62,760 | $50,960 | $149,280 | 1,470 | 0.87 |
| South Dakota | $77,730 | $60,210 | $149,280 | 250 | 0.74 |
| Tennessee | $77,090 | $49,660 | $149,280 | 1,860 | 0.77 |
| Texas | $90,510 | $52,510 | $132,850 | 18,870 | 1.82 |
| Utah | $78,920 | $48,040 | $149,280 | 550 | 0.43 |
| Vermont | $106,330 | $65,690 | $153,670 | 190 | 0.85 |
| Virginia | $112,760 | $62,730 | $195,190 | 3,180 | 1.05 |
| Washington | $115,790 | $84,500 | $162,860 | 1,850 | 0.71 |
| West Virginia | $92,410 | $48,450 | $171,250 | 220 | 0.42 |
| Wisconsin | $91,040 | $70,060 | $103,130 | 1,640 | 0.76 |
| Wyoming | $81,880 | $62,230 | $149,280 | 170 | 0.82 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for detectives and criminal investigators
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 7,800. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.2%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for detectives and criminal investigators
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services CIP 03.0208
- Signal/Geospatial Intelligence CIP 29.0203
- Criminal Justice and Corrections, General CIP 43.0100
- Criminal Justice/Police Science CIP 43.0107
- Law Enforcement Investigation and Interviewing CIP 43.0114
- Law Enforcement Record-Keeping and Evidence Management CIP 43.0115
- Suspension and Debarment Investigation CIP 43.0121
- Maritime Law Enforcement CIP 43.0122
- Cultural/Archaelogical Resources Protection CIP 43.0123
- Criminalistics and Criminal Science CIP 43.0402
- Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism CIP 43.0403
- Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation CIP 43.0405
- Geospatial Intelligence CIP 43.0407
- Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis CIP 43.0408
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Prepare reports that detail investigation findings.
- Obtain and verify evidence by interviewing and observing suspects and witnesses or by analyzing records.
- Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed.
- Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.
- Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.
- Analyze completed police reports to determine what additional information and investigative work is needed.
- Note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene.
- Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Linux (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- SAS (hot technology)
- Structured query language SQL (hot technology)
- AccessData FTK
- Case management software
- Computer aided composite drawing software
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Crime mapping software
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Persuasion, Negotiation.
Common job titles: Criminal Investigator, CSI (Crime Scene Investigator), Detective, Fugitive Detective, Fugitive Investigator, Investigator, Narcotics Detective, Narcotics Investigator, Police Detective, Special Agent.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do detectives and criminal investigators make?
The national median annual wage for detectives and criminal investigators was $93,790 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $55,390 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $160,540. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do detectives and criminal investigators need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is detectives and criminal investigators a growing career?
BLS projects employment of detectives and criminal investigators to change +0.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 7,800 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay detectives and criminal investigators the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($160,760), Maryland ($126,730), California ($124,840). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.