Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salary in District of Columbia

Half of detectives and criminal investigators roles in District of Columbia report earning more than $160,760 a year and half report earning less — that is the median. The mean (average) of $148,110 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 $114,230 and a quarter are above $170,810, 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