Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Detective salary
Average detective salary
$57,984
$27.88 hourly rate
Entry-level detective salary
$35,000 yearly salaryUpdated December 15, 2025
On this page
Detective salary by:Â
Let Zippia find your next detective job
Let Zippia find your next detective job
Average detective salary by state
Highest paying states for detectives
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | $68,730 | $33.04 |
| 2 | California | $71,615 | $34.43 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $75,868 | $36.48 |
| 4 | Indiana | $62,785 | $30.19 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $72,256 | $34.74 |
| 6 | Illinois | $66,644 | $32.04 |
| 7 | New York | $64,720 | $31.12 |
| 8 | Missouri | $58,455 | $28.10 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $57,022 | $27.41 |
| 10 | Maine | $66,084 | $31.77 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $61,309 | $29.48 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $65,479 | $31.48 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $56,945 | $27.38 |
| 14 | Delaware | $59,864 | $28.78 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $61,177 | $29.41 |
| 16 | Arizona | $58,309 | $28.03 |
| 17 | Washington | $58,988 | $28.36 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $59,938 | $28.82 |
| 19 | Idaho | $59,520 | $28.62 |
| 20 | Nevada | $58,196 | $27.98 |
| 21 | Kansas | $60,584 | $29.13 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $58,202 | $27.98 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $56,259 | $27.05 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $58,908 | $28.32 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $60,656 | $29.16 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $57,492 | $27.64 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $58,644 | $28.19 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $52,091 | $25.04 |
| 29 | Ohio | $49,495 | $23.80 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $54,637 | $26.27 |
| 31 | Oregon | $52,957 | $25.46 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $48,539 | $23.34 |
| 33 | Michigan | $49,668 | $23.88 |
| 34 | Montana | $51,954 | $24.98 |
| 35 | Texas | $54,033 | $25.98 |
| 36 | Vermont | $55,827 | $26.84 |
| 37 | Maryland | $53,174 | $25.56 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $52,268 | $25.13 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $51,260 | $24.64 |
| 40 | Virginia | $52,063 | $25.03 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $46,242 | $22.23 |
| 42 | Alaska | $43,553 | $20.94 |
| 43 | Alabama | $49,274 | $23.69 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $42,087 | $20.23 |
| 45 | Florida | $48,038 | $23.10 |
| 46 | Colorado | $47,061 | $22.63 |
| 47 | Georgia | $45,691 | $21.97 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $48,739 | $23.43 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $40,470 | $19.46 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $44,554 | $21.42 |
| 51 | Iowa | $43,975 | $21.14 |
Detective salary details
A detective's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $95,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a detective's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| 75th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
| Average | $57,984 | $4,832 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying detective jobs
The highest paying types of detectives are special agent, criminal investigator, and deputy.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrol Officer | $35,621 | $2,968 | $17.13 | 123,265 |
| Military Police Officer | $38,080 | $3,173 | $18.31 | 122,487 |
| Parking Enforcement Officer | $38,755 | $3,230 | $18.63 | 120,053 |
| Police Officer | $52,638 | $4,386 | $25.31 | 116,287 |
| Law Enforcement Officer | $39,219 | $3,268 | $18.86 | 105,817 |
| Criminal Investigator | $54,520 | $4,543 | $26.21 | 5,131 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
$60,000$58,400$56,800$55,200$53,600$52,000
MaleFemale
Detective salary trends
The average detective salary has risen by $10,117 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average detective earned $47,867 annually, but today, they earn $57,984 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for detectives over the last decade.
Compare detective salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average detective salary over time
Compare detective salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Detective salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $58,000 | $27.88 | +4.3% |
| 2025 | $55,500 | $26.67 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | $54,600 | $26.27 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $53,300 | $25.64 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $52,100 | $25.05 | +1.2% |
Recently added detective salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The TJX Companies, Inc. | LP Detective | Lutz, FL | 06/28/2025 | $30,366 |
| Leon County Sheriff's Office | Nibin Detective | Tallahassee, FL | 06/27/2025 | $71,643 |
| Confident Staffing | Retail & Restaurant Detective | Medford, OR | 06/25/2025 | $37,566 |
| O'Reilly Auto Parts | DC Metal Detector Attendant | Devens, MA | 06/24/2025 | $39,444 |
| The TJX Companies, Inc. | LP Detective | Boise, ID | 06/24/2025 | $30,366 |
| O'Reilly Auto Parts | DC Metal Detector Attendant | Stockton, CA | 06/21/2025 | $35,896 |
| The TJX Companies, Inc. | LP Detective | Valley, AL | 06/21/2025 | $30,366 |
| The TJX Companies, Inc. | LP Detective | Columbus, GA | 06/21/2025 | $30,366 |
| The TJX Companies, Inc. | LP Detective | Shreveport, LA | 06/16/2025 | $30,366 |
| The TJX Companies, Inc. | 70118-LP Detective | El Cerrito, CA | 06/16/2025 | $38,276 |
Search for detective jobs
Updated December 15, 2025