Police Detective Salaries

You’ve been working toward a promotion that will land you that coveted police detective job. In addition to the excitement, pride, and personal and professional satisfaction that come with becoming a criminal investigator, your earning power as a detective is well worth the pursuit.

As of May 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that detectives and criminal investigators earned an average salary of $90,370 – that’s about $20,000 more annually than the average salary for police and sheriff’s patrol officers ($70,750).

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Salaries for detectives and criminal investigators vary slightly based on whether they work for local or state law enforcement. The annual average salary for police detectives working for sheriff’s departments and other local police departments was $78,730 as of May 2021, while those working for state police departments earned slightly less, at $70,470.

In addition to time served on the job, other factors like higher rank and specialized duties have a significant impact on a police officer’s salary. Uniformed police officers with a lot of drive and dedication can achieve the rank of detective after several years of service and a lot of hard. That hard work is rewarded with considerably higher salaries. The BLS reports that as of May 2021, early career (25th percentile) police detectives earned about $61,600, while those at the top end of the pay scale (90th percentile) earned about $146,830.

Detectives may also obtain special skills related to hostage negotiations, special operations or digital forensics that would allow them to enter more exclusive units. Detectives in these units usually receive hazard pay and other incentives beyond the base salary because of their additional training and the fact that they are more likely to work in high-risk situations.

You’ll also find that the cost of living in a specific state or locality plays a big part in what you can expect to earn as a police detective. According to the BLS, the top-paying states for criminal investigators and detectives (according to average salary) as of May 2021 were:

  • Alaska: $126,810
  • Washington D.C.: $123,760
  • Maryland: $115,660
  • Hawaii: $111,130
  • Washington: $108,550

The top-paying metro areas for police detectives during this time were:

  • NYC (includes Jersey City and Newark), NY-NJ-PA: $114,760
  • Washington D.C. (includes Arlington and Alexandria, VA): $123,460
  • San Diego (includes Carlsbad), CA: $106,620
  • Los Angeles (includes Long Beach and Anaheim), CA: $115,860
  • Miami (includes Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach), FL: $96,610
  • Chicago (includes Naperville and Elgin), IL-IN-WI: $101,600

The following BLS table provides an overview of state salaries for detectives and criminal investigators serving at the municipal, county and state level as of May 2021:

Area Name
Employment
Annual median wage
Alabama
1130
62380
Alaska
100
133600
Arizona
5370
91350
Arkansas
570
47580
California
11510
104060
Colorado
1750
97980
Connecticut
910
94670
Delaware
100
77480
District of Columbia
3310
133930
Florida
6330
67930
Georgia
3590
60550
Hawaii
430
99580
Idaho
470
64610
Illinois
2770
97300
Indiana
930
60850
Iowa
340
78710
Kansas
950
60500
Kentucky
620
64610
Louisiana
1500
57660
Maine
530
76910
Maryland
870
113360
Massachusetts
1660
97980
Michigan
2080
81850
Minnesota
1520
78670
Mississippi
980
48040
Missouri
1840
60520
Montana
480
83640
Nebraska
340
73550
Nevada
700
78330
New Hampshire
360
80140
New Jersey
3790
99880
New Mexico
1930
77480
New York
10190
99630
North Carolina
3110
55910
North Dakota
420
76730
Ohio
2150
77580
Oklahoma
980
61190
Oregon
520
100330
Pennsylvania
3170
78540
Puerto Rico
340
78330
Rhode Island
1230
51770
South Carolina
180
63960
South Dakota
1910
61190
Tennessee
16540
81170
Texas
440
69010
Utah
190
91580
Vermont
3270
93520
Virginia
1590
101860
Washington
220
78250
West Virginia
1540
81850
Wisconsin
170
68730
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2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for detectives and criminal investigators. Job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures are based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2022.

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