Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salary in United States

Half of detectives and criminal investigators roles in United States report earning more than $93,790 a year and half report earning less — that is the median. The mean (average) of $99,430 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 $69,330 and a quarter are above $120,520, 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