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The average annual salary for detectives is $60,150 for 2025, the most recent year reviewed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This can be an exciting career for many people. Is there anything quite as satisfying as solving a big mystery? For anyone who’s passionate about putting the puzzle pieces together until they discover the truth, working as a detective could be a dream job.
Read on to learn more about this career path. In addition to how much a detective makes a year, you can find out about the responsibilities and benefits involved.
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Key Points
• Private detectives gather financial, legal, and personal information to get to the root of unanswered questions.
• A private detective makes an average of $60,150 annually.
• When first starting out, detectives can expect to earn less than the average, with the lowest 10% of earners making less than $36,740 a year.
• Detective salaries vary by state and industry, but the top 10% of earners can make upwards of $97,630 yearly.
• Detectives can earn a very good salary while doing interesting work, but they must often work long and varied hours.
What Are Detectives?
Working as a private detective involves searching for and piecing together financial, legal, and personal matters to help get to the root of an unanswered question. For example, private detectives can help find missing persons or investigate cybercrimes. Here’s a quick breakdown of some common on-the-job responsibilities that detectives tackle on a daily basis:
• Conducting interviews to help collect information
• Pursuing evidence
• Reviewing civil judgments and criminal history
• Planning and executing surveillance
• Searching records (court, public, and online)
Some private detectives work for themselves and offer their services to a variety of clients, whereas others work for businesses, such as law firms.
Regardless of where one works, being a detective can involve a good number of interviews and interpersonal interaction. For this reason, it may not be a good job for antisocial people.
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How Much Do Starting Detectives Make a Year?
In the early days of their career, detectives can expect to earn less until they gain more experience and a strong reputation for their sleuthing skills. When it comes to entry-level detective work, competitive pay can be fairly low. The lowest 10% of detective earners make less than $36,740 per year.
However, there is considerable room for improvement when it comes to salary for this role. The highest 10% earn more than $97,630 annually. This indicates that it can be possible to earn $100,000 per year as a detective.
Recommended: What Is a Six-Figure Salary?
What Is the Average Salary for a Detective?
Some detectives earn an annual salary (an average of $60,150), but others earn an hourly wage. How much does a detective make an hour? The average hourly wage is $28.92.
How much someone earns on average working as a detective can vary based on where they live and the industry they work in. When it comes to working in different industries, these are the average annual wages for detectives in a few different industries for 2025, the most recent year available:
• Government: $75,130
• Professional, scientific, and technical services: $78,610
• Investigation, guard, and armored car services: $55,450
• Retail trade: $45,120
The state someone works in also plays a big role in their earning potential. The following table highlights how average detective wages can vary by state, with salaries listed from highest to lowest.
What Is the Average Detective Salary by State for 2026?
| State | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $70,113 | $5,842 | $1,348 | $33.71 |
| New York | $67,726 | $5,643 | $1,302 | $32.56 |
| Massachusetts | $67,608 | $5,634 | $1,300 | $32.50 |
| Alaska | $66,668 | $5,555 | $1,282 | $32.05 |
| Vermont | $65,820 | $5,485 | $1,265 | $31.64 |
| North Dakota | $65,500 | $5,458 | $1,259 | $31.49 |
| Oregon | $65,451 | $5,454 | $1,258 | $31.47 |
| Colorado | $65,094 | $5,424 | $1,251 | $31.30 |
| Hawaii | $64,316 | $5,359 | $1,236 | $30.92 |
| Nevada | $63,038 | $5,253 | $1,212 | $30.31 |
| New Jersey | $62,848 | $5,237 | $1,208 | $30.22 |
| Wisconsin | $62,484 | $5,207 | $1,201 | $30.04 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,053 | $5,171 | $1,193 | $29.83 |
| Delaware | $61,958 | $5,163 | $1,191 | $29.79 |
| South Dakota | $61,905 | $5,158 | $1,190 | $29.76 |
| Virginia | $61,374 | $5,114 | $1,180 | $29.51 |
| California | $61,094 | $5,091 | $1,174 | $29.37 |
| Minnesota | $60,630 | $5,052 | $1,165 | $29.15 |
| Rhode Island | $60,624 | $5,052 | $1,165 | $29.15 |
| New Hampshire | $60,203 | $5,016 | $1,157 | $28.94 |
| Maryland | $60,081 | $5,006 | $1,155 | $28.89 |
| New Mexico | $59,990 | $4,999 | $1,153 | $28.84 |
| Illinois | $59,987 | $4,998 | $1,153 | $28.84 |
| Maine | $59,936 | $4,994 | $1,152 | $28.82 |
| Wyoming | $59,504 | $4,958 | $1,144 | $28.61 |
| Nebraska | $59,023 | $4,918 | $1,135 | $28.38 |
| Indiana | $58,906 | $4,908 | $1,132 | $28.32 |
| Connecticut | $58,889 | $4,907 | $1,132 | $28.31 |
| Ohio | $58,852 | $4,904 | $1,131 | $28.29 |
| Mississippi | $58,628 | $4,885 | $1,127 | $28.19 |
| Idaho | $58,246 | $4,853 | $1,120 | $28.00 |
| Iowa | $58,145 | $4,845 | $1,118 | $27.95 |
| Missouri | $58,067 | $4,838 | $1,116 | $27.92 |
| Arizona | $57,688 | $4,807 | $1,109 | $27.73 |
| Texas | $57,674 | $4,806 | $1,109 | $27.73 |
| South Carolina | $57,445 | $4,787 | $1,104 | $27.62 |
| Oklahoma | $57,159 | $4,763 | $1,099 | $27.48 |
| Montana | $56,819 | $4,734 | $1,092 | $27.32 |
| Utah | $56,356 | $4,696 | $1,083 | $27.09 |
| North Carolina | $56,259 | $4,688 | $1,081 | $27.05 |
| Tennessee | $56,186 | $4,682 | $1,080 | $27.01 |
| Alabama | $56,110 | $4,675 | $1,079 | $26.98 |
| Kansas | $55,210 | $4,600 | $1,061 | $26.54 |
| Michigan | $53,956 | $4,496 | $1,037 | $25.94 |
| Kentucky | $53,766 | $4,480 | $1,033 | $25.85 |
| Louisiana | $52,936 | $4,411 | $1,018 | $25.45 |
| Georgia | $52,271 | $4,355 | $1,005 | $25.13 |
| Arkansas | $51,189 | $4,265 | $984 | $24.61 |
| West Virginia | $47,925 | $3,993 | $921 | $23.04 |
| Florida | $46,261 | $3,855 | $889 | $22.24 |
Source: ZipRecruiter
đź’ˇ Quick Tip: Income, expenses, and life circumstances can change. Consider reviewing your budget a few times a year and making any adjustments if needed.
Detective Job Considerations for Pay and Benefits
Detectives who work for businesses, such as large corporations or law firms, on a full-time basis often receive employer-sponsored benefits as a part of their compensation package. These benefits can include paid time off, retirement accounts with employer contribution matches, and health insurance.
However, many detectives work on a part-time basis or are self-employed and then are on the hook for supplying their own benefits, which can be quite expensive.
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Pros and Cons of Detective Salary
Detectives can earn a very good salary, and the work can be very interesting.
However, the tradeoff may not be worth it for some. Working as a detective often involves long and varied hours due to the nature of their work — especially when they’re conducting surveillance. Some people may find that working on weekends, nights, or holidays isn’t worth the salary. It simply may not align with their career goals and their desired work-life balance.
The Takeaway
Skilled detectives stand to earn a lot of money (close to six figures) as they work their way up in their industry. This can be a very exciting but also extremely demanding role.
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FAQ
Can you make 100K a year as a detective?
It’s possible to make $100,000 a year or more as a detective. The top 10% of earners in this field make at least $97,630 per year. As a detective gains years of experience and improves their skills, they can expect to earn more competitive pay.
Do people like being a detective?
Many people pursue a career as a detective because they’re passionate about the work they do and enjoy a lot of satisfaction from their job. It’s worth noting that this job can require a lot of personal interactions and may not be the best fit for anyone who is antisocial.
Is it hard to get hired as a detective?
Getting hired as a detective can be competitive, but there are currently anticipated to be 3,900 openings for private detectives each year until 2034. There’s also a projected 6% growth in employment opportunities, so someone with the right qualifications should be able to find a job in this field.
Photo credit: Andrii Lysenko
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