Highest-paying Cities for Detectives and Criminal Investigators

The top 100 highest paying cities for detectives and criminal investigators (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of detectives and criminal investigators in those cities are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with a annual salary of $142,420, Hagerstown-Martinsburg, West Virginia is the highest paying city for detectives and criminal investigators. It is followed by Anchorage, Alaska (average annual salary $141,210). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of detectives and criminal investigators in a specific city, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest-paying cities/areas for Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Rank	City/Area	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Hagerstown-Martinsburg, West Virginia	$142,420	$45,550	40
2	Anchorage, Alaska	$141,210	$75,230	80
3	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California	$139,050	$81,050	230
4	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, District of Columbia	$137,970	$75,070	4,730
5	Brunswick, Georgia	$137,610	$41,920	220
6	Nassau-Suffolk, New York	$130,980	$74,070	1,240
7	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, West Virginia	$130,350	$76,400	4,470
8	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, California	$129,270	$100,380	60
9	San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, California	$126,440	$76,480	370
10	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California	$122,660	$84,820	3,320
11	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California	$117,850	$79,980	2,930
12	Gary, Indiana	$117,840	$43,550	100
13	Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, California	$116,870	$75,760	310
14	Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, New Hampshire	$115,930	$49,480	40
15	Baltimore-Towson, Maryland	$113,780	$58,750	470
16	New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, New York	$113,490	$63,670	9,310
17	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington	$110,540	$82,380	730
18	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California	$110,240	$77,800	1,240
19	Newark-Union, Pennsylvania	$109,660	$64,310	1,110
20	El Centro, California	$109,490	$65,020	740
21	Ann Arbor, Michigan	$108,400	$66,860	50
22	Edison-New Brunswick, New Jersey	$107,840	$63,350	450
23	Urban Honolulu, Hawaii	$107,740	$94,490	350
24	Yakima, Washington	$107,580	$72,210	30
25	Hawaii-Maui-Kauai nonmetropolitan area, Hawaii	$107,450	$107,450	60
26	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California	$107,260	$81,270	80
27	San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California	$107,240	$74,570	2,800
28	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, California	$106,300	$74,260	3,780
29	Charleston, West Virginia	$105,810	$44,030	70
30	Stockton, California	$105,120	$76,210	70
31	Bellingham, Washington	$105,120	$102,210	240
32	Bremerton-Silverdale, Washington	$103,980	$75,590	80
33	Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Florida	$103,420	$46,600	820
34	Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, California	$103,380	$83,830	50
35	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California	$103,170	$81,260	720
36	Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colorado	$103,000	$63,790	1,140
37	Chicago-Joliet-Naperville (IL-IN-WI Area), Illinois	$102,650	$65,640	1,860
38	Mobile, Alabama	$102,500	$52,420	90
39	Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, California	$101,770	$61,900	1,450
40	Redding, California	$100,890	$80,140	40
41	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida	$100,790	$51,900	2,140
42	Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California	$100,070	$68,940	700
43	Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Washington	$99,320	$48,880	670
44	Ithaca, New York	$99,250	$69,280	30
45	Sioux Falls, South Dakota	$99,200	$55,440	50
46	Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky	$99,200	$46,950	100
47	Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont	$99,070	$60,200	70
48	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Washington	$98,740	$59,990	340
49	Fort Collins-Loveland, Colorado	$98,120	$59,090	40
50	Fresno, California	$98,090	$63,330	320
51	Barnstable Town, Massachusetts	$97,320	$73,060	30
52	Atlantic City-Hammonton, New Jersey	$96,730	$55,420	120
53	North Arizona nonmetropolitan area, Arizona	$96,510	$64,230	830
54	Western Washington nonmetropolitan area, Washington	$96,370	$76,400	50
55	Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, Arizona	$96,280	$50,630	1,250
56	Salinas, California	$96,190	$60,530	40
57	Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, Maryland	$95,930	$50,180	120
58	New York-White Plains-Wayne, New York	$95,900	$43,240	6,640
59	Buffalo-Niagara Falls, New York	$95,710	$59,170	670
60	Salem, Oregon	$95,470	$55,210	60
61	Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Vermont	$95,220	$67,790	100
62	Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area, Washington	$95,220	$84,420	60
63	Grand Forks, North Dakota	$95,220	$48,030	50
64	El Paso, Texas	$95,220	$50,690	1,760
65	Las Cruces, New Mexico	$95,220	$56,530	520
66	Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area, Maine	$95,220	$38,960	140
67	Western Montana nonmetropolitan area, Montana	$95,220	$55,580	70
68	East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area, Montana	$95,220	$60,580	140
69	Watertown-Fort Drum, New York	$95,220	$75,430	70
70	Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas	$95,220	$50,690	830
71	Capital-Northern New York nonmetropolitan area, New York	$95,220	$60,410	300
72	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, New York	$95,080	$58,510	840
73	Boulder, Colorado	$95,030	$60,280	50
74	Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area, Virginia	$95,010	$48,860	80
75	Rochester, New York	$94,900	$60,810	360
76	Great Falls, Montana	$94,780	$53,820	40
77	New Haven, Connecticut	$94,580	$72,970	150
78	Vallejo-Fairfield, California	$94,240	$63,510	50
79	Utica-Rome, New York	$94,070	$62,150	130
80	Santa Rosa-Petaluma, California	$93,970	$60,530	50
81	Danbury, Connecticut	$93,940	$66,300	30
82	Trenton-Ewing, New Jersey	$93,920	$60,390	410
83	Sierra Vista-Douglas, Arizona	$93,830	$67,100	800
84	East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area, North Dakota	$93,790	$48,070	50
85	Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Michigan	$93,770	$64,890	1,100
86	San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, California	$93,650	$68,120	30
87	Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, New Jersey	$93,550	$68,420	90
88	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut	$93,340	$79,030	180
89	Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts	$93,220	$59,170	1,370
90	Laredo, Texas	$92,970	$52,290	1,290
91	Yuma, Arizona	$92,580	$50,690	730
92	Other Ohio nonmetropolitan area, Ohio	$92,580	$51,360	130
93	McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas	$92,580	$47,530	1,520
94	Cedar Rapids, Iowa	$92,580	$56,530	30
95	Central East New York nonmetropolitan area, New York	$92,380	$51,950	150
96	Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas	$92,280	$44,290	1,170
97	Spokane, Washington	$92,080	$65,420	290
98	Camden, New Jersey	$92,020	$54,840	370
99	Madison, Wisconsin	$92,010	$64,480	260
100	Manchester, New Hampshire	$91,760	$64,100	80

See also: 💰 Highest paying industries for detectives and criminal investigators.