The highest-paying states for private detectives and 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 private detectives and investigators in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $75,000, Arkansas is the highest paying state for private detectives and investigators. It is followed by Montana (average annual salary $71,290). 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 private detectives and investigators in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | $75,000 |
$34,320 | 260 |
| 2 | Montana | $71,290 |
$37,050 | 70 |
| 3 | Oregon | $69,260 |
$37,440 | 500 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $68,290 |
$36,750 | 390 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $67,090 |
$36,610 | 710 |
| 6 | Virginia | $65,340 |
$33,280 | 1,430 |
| 7 | Colorado | $64,220 |
$34,530 | 490 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $63,170 |
$33,640 | 70 |
| 9 | Illinois | $63,170 |
$38,030 | 1,690 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $62,770 |
$37,440 | 210 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $62,660 |
$34,580 | 60 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $61,670 |
$38,020 | 200 |
| 13 | New York | $60,700 |
$35,370 | 1,700 |
| 14 | Michigan | $59,940 |
$31,300 | 950 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $59,280 |
$37,000 | 60 |
| 16 | Washington | $58,650 |
$38,170 | 600 |
| 17 | California | $58,650 |
$35,490 | 4,100 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $58,510 |
$36,400 | 90 |
| 19 | Alaska | $57,690 |
$37,720 | 60 |
| 20 | Arizona | $57,250 |
$34,960 | 880 |
| 21 | Maryland | $57,000 |
$37,030 | 700 |
| 22 | Nevada | $57,000 |
$28,280 | 340 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $54,380 |
$28,320 | 280 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $53,480 |
$41,160 | 30 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $52,750 |
$34,110 | 140 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $52,730 |
$37,350 | 530 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $52,440 |
$34,810 | 0 |
| 28 | Texas | $51,930 |
$30,250 | 2,390 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $50,970 |
$34,140 | 640 |
| 30 | Georgia | $50,580 |
$29,360 | 960 |
| 31 | Florida | $49,920 |
$33,280 | 3,840 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $49,720 |
$31,750 | 1,350 |
| 33 | Ohio | $49,680 |
$31,940 | 1,570 |
| 34 | Alabama | $46,340 |
$33,370 | 290 |
| 35 | Kansas | $46,330 |
$30,300 | 80 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $45,170 |
$35,360 | 200 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $43,780 |
$35,430 | 560 |
| 38 | Maine | $43,630 |
$35,280 | 250 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $43,130 |
$32,240 | 230 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $41,930 |
$33,900 | 480 |
| 41 | Missouri | $41,770 |
$33,280 | 340 |
| 42 | New Jersey | $41,710 |
$36,090 | 850 |
| 43 | Indiana | $41,600 |
$30,390 | 410 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $39,840 |
$33,190 | 260 |
| 45 | Iowa | $39,810 |
$33,280 | 70 |
| 46 | Delaware | $39,520 |
$35,510 | 40 |
| 47 | Idaho | $39,010 |
$21,680 | 140 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $37,210 |
$29,250 | 70 |
| 49 | Utah | $37,190 |
$29,680 | 400 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $33,280 |
$20,680 | 140 |
| 51 | Puerto Rico | $31,000 |
$23,780 | 50 |