Detective Salary in the US
$63,197
per year
per hour
$30.38
per hour
per year
Police Detective - Average Salary
The average salary for a Detective is $63,197 per year ($30.38 per hour), which is $9,707 (+18%) higher than the average salary in the US.
A Police Detective can expect an average starting salary of $38,466. The highest salaries can exceed $151,470.
A Police Detective can expect an average starting salary of $38,466. The highest salaries can exceed $151,470.
$38,466
Low
$63,197
Average salary
$151,470
High
$18.49
Low
$30.38
Average salary
$72.82
High
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Detective Salary Range
Among Detectives and Criminal Investigators in the US, Loss Prevention Detectives, Private Investigators and CSIs tend to have the lowest salaries and wages, while professionals like Forensic Investigators, Homicide Detectives, Narcotics Officers and Detectives employed by federal government agencies like the FBI enjoy the highest salaries.
Detective - Salary Differences
| Job | Salary | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| FBI Detective | $89K/year | +41% |
| Narcotics Detective | $76K/year | +20% |
| Homicide Detective | $74K/year | +17% |
| Chief Inspector | $67K/year | +6% |
| Forensic Detective | $66K/year | +5% |
| Crime Scene Investigator | $54K/year | -14% |
| Private Detective | $51K/year | -19% |
| Undercover Detective | $44K/year | -31% |
| Store Detective | $32K/year | -49% |
| Loss Prevention Detective | $30K/year | -52% |
Police Detective - Pay by Experience Level in the United States
An Entry Level Detective with less than three years of experience can expect to earn an average starting salary of $40,000 per year. A mid career Police Detective with 4-9 years of experience earns an average salary of $57,000, while an experienced Detective with 10-20 years of experience makes on average $79,000. Detectives and Criminal Investigators with more than 20 years of experience earn $89,000 per year on average.
How Work Experience Affects the Salary of a Detective
| Late Career | ▲ +41% |
| Experienced | ▲ +25% |
| Average Salary | $63,197/year |
| Mid Career | ▼ -10% |
| Entry Level | ▼ -37% |
Gender Breakdown
Female
24%
24%
Male
76%
76%
Detective - Jobs by Location
Detective - Related Salaries
The salary information presented on this page is based on all Detective jobs published on Jobted in the last 12 months and on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov).
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Detective Jobs