Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salary in California

Half of detectives and criminal investigators roles in California report earning more than $124,840 a year and half report earning less — that is the median. The mean (average) of $121,530 is pulled up or down by the highest and lowest earners, which is why the median is usually the better benchmark.

Salary range

A quarter of reported salaries fall below $99,270 and a quarter are above $136,020, so most detectives and criminal investigators pay sits between those two figures. These percentiles describe how pay is spread across all reported roles — they are not a direct measure of years of experience.

What can affect detectives and criminal investigators pay?

• Years of experience and level of responsibility
• Employer type and size
• Specialization within the occupation
• Certifications and licensing
• Industry
• Hours worked, shift patterns and overtime
• The local labor market where the job is based