SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Gather, analyze, compile, and report information regarding individuals or organizations to clients, or detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishment.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 33-9021.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $36,740 | $3,062 | $707 | $17.66 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $40,700 | $3,392 | $783 | $19.57 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $51,220 | $4,268 | $985 | $24.62 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $73,990 | $6,166 | $1,423 | $35.57 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $97,630 | $8,136 | $1,878 | $46.94 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Private Detectives and Investigators is $51,220, which is about the same. Among the 24 occupations of the field Protective Service, it ranks number 16 by median pay. With 35,580 jobs, it makes up about 2.3 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($60,150) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Private Detectives and Investigators pay by state
The highest median pay was in Oregon ($76,480), Connecticut ($75,010) and District of Columbia ($72,720). The lowest was in Mississippi ($39,060), Oklahoma ($39,680) and Iowa ($41,110). The most jobs were in California (4,190), Florida (3,660) and Texas (3,220). The occupation is most concentrated in Louisiana, where its share of all jobs is 1.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 610 | $76,480 | $74,690 | $36.77 |
| Connecticut | 400 | $75,010 | $66,560 | $36.06 |
| District of Columbia | not published | $72,720 | $88,260 | $34.96 |
| Vermont | 90 | $67,910 | $63,670 | $32.65 |
| New Hampshire | 280 | $65,370 | $69,350 | $31.43 |
| Washington | 750 | $64,080 | $71,020 | $30.81 |
| California | 4,190 | $61,250 | $67,040 | $29.45 |
| Arizona | 790 | $61,030 | $62,410 | $29.34 |
| Illinois | 1,300 | $60,210 | $64,440 | $28.95 |
| New York | 1,300 | $59,140 | $68,310 | $28.43 |
| Utah | 350 | $57,910 | $59,830 | $27.84 |
| Minnesota | 600 | $57,880 | $66,510 | $27.83 |
| Virginia | 1,280 | $56,160 | $61,940 | $27.00 |
| Delaware | 110 | $55,710 | $59,230 | $26.78 |
| New Jersey | 410 | $54,710 | $66,160 | $26.31 |
| Rhode Island | 60 | $54,620 | $60,960 | $26.26 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $54,310 | $58,800 | $26.11 |
| Alaska | 70 | $53,440 | $62,190 | $25.69 |
| North Carolina | 1,710 | $52,890 | $61,350 | $25.43 |
| Texas | 3,220 | $51,810 | $58,670 | $24.91 |
| Nebraska | 160 | $51,750 | $58,140 | $24.88 |
| South Carolina | 620 | $51,530 | $58,980 | $24.78 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,220 | $51,200 | $59,880 | $24.62 |
| Florida | 3,660 | $50,640 | $55,820 | $24.35 |
| Massachusetts | 280 | $50,240 | $70,110 | $24.15 |
| Tennessee | 940 | $49,360 | $63,810 | $23.73 |
| Colorado | 540 | $48,730 | $58,910 | $23.43 |
| Michigan | 850 | $48,650 | $53,850 | $23.39 |
| Idaho | 210 | $47,910 | $54,530 | $23.03 |
| Arkansas | 370 | $47,750 | $57,940 | $22.96 |
| Kentucky | 350 | $47,650 | $51,130 | $22.91 |
| Montana | 70 | $47,430 | $52,540 | $22.80 |
| Ohio | 1,560 | $47,200 | $56,980 | $22.69 |
| Alabama | 530 | $46,810 | $48,750 | $22.50 |
| West Virginia | 170 | $46,410 | $49,600 | $22.31 |
| Hawaii | 70 | $45,750 | $54,920 | $21.99 |
| Kansas | 280 | $45,260 | $50,220 | $21.76 |
| Georgia | 1,460 | $45,060 | $54,730 | $21.66 |
| South Dakota | 60 | $44,840 | $44,210 | $21.56 |
| North Dakota | 60 | $44,310 | $47,230 | $21.30 |
| Maine | 210 | $43,830 | $48,590 | $21.07 |
| Puerto Rico | 120 | $42,190 | $37,480 | $20.29 |
| Louisiana | 860 | $41,950 | $46,110 | $20.17 |
| Wisconsin | 410 | $41,850 | $50,660 | $20.12 |
| Indiana | 480 | $41,830 | $49,080 | $20.11 |
| Missouri | 590 | $41,600 | $48,150 | $20.00 |
| New Mexico | not published | $41,600 | $49,550 | $20.00 |
| Iowa | 170 | $41,110 | $48,190 | $19.77 |
| Oklahoma | 370 | $39,680 | $46,450 | $19.08 |
| Mississippi | 330 | $39,060 | $46,370 | $18.78 |
| Maryland | 560 | not published | not published | not published |
| Nevada | 350 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists$56,870 a year
- Bailiffs$56,600 a year
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers$55,940 a year
- Parking Enforcement Workers$46,730 a year
- Animal Control Workers$45,660 a year
- Gambling Surveillance Officers and Gambling Investigators$43,370 a year
Common questions
How much do Private Detectives and Investigators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $51,220 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,740 and the highest-paid 10% more than $97,630.
How many people work as Private Detectives and Investigators?
About 35,580 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.