The salary statistics of detectives and criminal investigators are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of detectives and criminal investigators within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The detectives and criminal investigators annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $47,990 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $61,240 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $86,280 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $110,530 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $150,570 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for detectives and criminal investigators. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) detectives and criminal investigators is $150,570. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $86,280. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $47,990. Note that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 213% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of detectives and criminal investigators from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $86,280 | 3.06% | 13.89% |
| 2021 | $83,640 | -3.95% | - |
| 2020 | $86,940 | 4.34% | - |
| 2019 | $83,170 | 1.50% | - |
| 2018 | $81,920 | 2.38% | - |
| 2017 | $79,970 | 2.31% | - |
| 2016 | $78,120 | 1.16% | - |
| 2015 | $77,210 | -3.45% | - |
| 2014 | $79,870 | 3.93% | - |
| 2013 | $76,730 | 3.17% | - |
| 2012 | $74,300 | - | - |
The average salaries of detectives and criminal investigators in 4 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for detectives and criminal investigators occupations is the transportation and warehousing sector with an annual salary $105,250. The lowest paying sector is the educational services sector (annual salary $74,360).
| Industry Sector | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | |
| Federal, State, and Local Government | |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | |
| Educational Services |
From the above tables we note that not only detectives and criminal investigators salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of detectives and criminal investigators in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $45,360 to $142,420. The highest paying state for detectives and criminal investigators is District of Columbia with a median annual salary of $142,420. The lowest paying state is Arkansas with a median annual salary of $45,360. For more salary information of detectives and criminal investigators profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.