Private Detectives and Investigators
Private Detectives and Investigators (SOC 33-9021) earn a median $51,220 a year ($24.62 an hour) in the United States, with 35,580 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Oregon.
What private detectives and investigators do
Private detectives and investigators gather, analyze, compile and report information about individuals or organizations to clients, or detect unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishments. The SOC separates them from detectives and criminal investigators, who work on suspected violations of law for public agencies. They conduct private investigations on a paid basis, search computer databases, credit reports, public records, and tax or legal filings to locate people or compile information, and conduct personal background investigations such as pre-employment checks into a person's character, financial status or history. They expose fraudulent insurance claims or stolen funds, and question people to obtain evidence in cases of divorce, child custody or missing persons. They obtain and analyze information on suspects, crimes or disturbances to solve cases or support court cases, write reports or case summaries to document investigations, and testify at hearings or trials to present evidence. More than a third of respondents report a bachelor's degree, a quarter a high school diploma and 16 percent an associate degree. Alternate labels include background investigator, asset protection detective, certified legal investigator, contract investigator and anti-money laundering investigator.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation (38 percent).
Also called: Alarm Investigator, AML Investigator (Anti Money Laundering Investigator), Asset Protection Detective, Background Investigator, Bonding Agent.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.66 | $19.57 | $24.62 | $35.57 | $46.94 | $28.92 | 35,580 |
| Annual | $36,740 | $40,700 | $51,220 | $73,990 | $97,630 | $60,150 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where private detectives and investigators earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $21.45 | $26.76 | $36.77 | $44.42 | $46.88 | $35.91 | 610 | 0.31 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $44,610 | $55,660 | $76,480 | $92,390 | $97,500 | $74,690 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $18.41 | $20.26 | $36.06 | $40.06 | $46.05 | $32.00 | 400 | 0.24 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $38,300 | $42,130 | $75,010 | $83,320 | $95,790 | $66,560 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $22.01 | $22.27 | $34.96 | $51.89 | $75.32 | $42.43 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $45,790 | $46,330 | $72,720 | $107,920 | $156,670 | $88,260 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $20.13 | $21.46 | $32.65 | $37.00 | $46.07 | $30.61 | 90 | 0.29 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $41,860 | $44,640 | $67,910 | $76,960 | $95,830 | $63,670 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $19.48 | $22.58 | $31.43 | $37.64 | $59.69 | $33.34 | 280 | 0.42 | 1.81 |
| Annual | $40,510 | $46,970 | $65,370 | $78,300 | $124,150 | $69,350 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $20.48 | $21.82 | $29.45 | $39.47 | $49.71 | $32.23 | 4,190 | 0.23 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $42,600 | $45,380 | $61,250 | $82,110 | $103,410 | $67,040 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.31 | $18.33 | $24.35 | $30.81 | $41.26 | $26.84 | 3,660 | 0.37 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $35,990 | $38,120 | $50,640 | $64,080 | $85,830 | $55,820 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $17.14 | $17.70 | $24.91 | $34.93 | $48.05 | $28.21 | 3,220 | 0.23 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $35,650 | $36,810 | $51,810 | $72,660 | $99,930 | $58,670 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $17.60 | $19.71 | $25.43 | $36.01 | $47.38 | $29.49 | 1,710 | 0.35 | 1.51 |
| Annual | $36,600 | $41,000 | $52,890 | $74,900 | $98,560 | $61,350 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $18.01 | $20.00 | $22.69 | $34.09 | $40.83 | $27.40 | 1,560 | 0.28 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $37,460 | $41,600 | $47,200 | $70,910 | $84,930 | $56,980 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | Hourly | $18.00 | $21.96 | $47.92 | $48.10 | $48.57 | $37.58 | 310 | 0.51 | 2.24 |
| Annual | $37,450 | $45,670 | $99,680 | $100,050 | $101,030 | $78,160 | ||||
| Salem, OR | Hourly | $27.48 | $32.29 | $38.98 | $45.01 | $45.01 | $37.76 | 180 | 0.98 | 4.28 |
| Annual | $57,170 | $67,170 | $81,070 | $93,620 | $93,620 | $78,540 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $21.68 | $27.36 | $37.66 | $45.01 | $53.89 | $37.23 | 270 | 0.22 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $45,090 | $56,920 | $78,330 | $93,620 | $112,080 | $77,440 | ||||
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | Hourly | $18.26 | $21.47 | $37.28 | $40.06 | $46.15 | $32.85 | 150 | 0.26 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $37,970 | $44,650 | $77,540 | $83,320 | $95,990 | $68,320 | ||||
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | Hourly | $18.01 | $20.48 | $36.84 | $40.06 | $42.82 | $30.70 | 50 | 0.31 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $37,460 | $42,590 | $76,630 | $83,320 | $89,070 | $63,850 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $20.77 | $22.22 | $29.65 | $39.47 | $49.15 | $32.65 | 1,520 | 0.24 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $43,200 | $46,210 | $61,680 | $82,110 | $102,230 | $67,920 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $17.46 | $17.88 | $29.55 | $35.78 | $51.84 | $30.11 | 1,070 | 0.26 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $36,320 | $37,180 | $61,460 | $74,410 | $107,830 | $62,630 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $21.20 | $23.63 | $28.44 | $41.87 | $51.98 | $34.59 | 1,040 | 0.11 | 0.48 |
| Annual | $44,090 | $49,160 | $59,140 | $87,080 | $108,120 | $71,950 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $17.05 | $18.52 | $26.31 | $34.23 | $49.05 | $28.20 | 1,030 | 0.36 | 1.59 |
| Annual | $35,470 | $38,520 | $54,720 | $71,200 | $102,030 | $58,660 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $18.06 | $19.03 | $21.68 | $31.90 | $47.18 | $27.91 | 980 | 0.34 | 1.48 |
| Annual | $37,560 | $39,580 | $45,080 | $66,350 | $98,130 | $58,050 | ||||
Top industries employing private detectives and investigators
General Merchandise Retailers employ 34.5% of private detectives and investigators nationally (12,290 jobs) at a median $41,280 a year ($19.85 an hour), followed by Investigation and Security Services (18.8%) and Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) (6.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Merchandise Retailers NAICS 455000 | 12,290 | 34.5% | $41,280 | $19.85 |
| Investigation and Security Services NAICS 561600 | 6,700 | 18.8% | $50,670 | $24.36 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) NAICS 5220A1 | 2,360 | 6.6% | $65,580 | $31.53 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 2,000 | 5.6% | $75,500 | $36.30 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 1,270 | 3.6% | $84,890 | $40.81 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (35,580). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $59,380 for private detectives and investigators in May 2021 and $51,220 in May 2025, with employment of 28,860 and 35,580.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $59,380 | $28.55 | 28,860 |
| May 2022 | $52,120 | $25.06 | 32,050 |
| May 2023 | $49,540 | $23.82 | 34,600 |
| May 2024 | $52,370 | $25.18 | 38,700 |
| May 2025 | $51,220 | $24.62 | 35,580 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon profile | $36.77 | $76,480 | $44,610 | $97,500 | 610 | 0.31 | 1.35 |
| 2 | Connecticut profile | $36.06 | $75,010 | $38,300 | $95,790 | 400 | 0.24 | 1.03 |
| 3 | District of Columbia profile | $34.96 | $72,720 | $45,790 | $156,670 | ** | ** | ** |
| 4 | Vermont profile | $32.65 | $67,910 | $41,860 | $95,830 | 90 | 0.29 | 1.28 |
| 5 | New Hampshire profile | $31.43 | $65,370 | $40,510 | $124,150 | 280 | 0.42 | 1.81 |
| 6 | Washington profile | $30.81 | $64,080 | $43,060 | $104,220 | 750 | 0.21 | 0.92 |
| 7 | California profile | $29.45 | $61,250 | $42,600 | $103,410 | 4,190 | 0.23 | 1.01 |
| 8 | Arizona profile | $29.34 | $61,030 | $38,240 | $92,160 | 790 | 0.25 | 1.07 |
| 9 | Illinois profile | $28.95 | $60,210 | $38,920 | $97,780 | 1,300 | 0.21 | 0.93 |
| 10 | New York profile | $28.43 | $59,140 | $40,940 | $103,610 | 1,300 | 0.13 | 0.59 |
| 11 | Utah profile | $27.84 | $57,910 | $38,690 | $89,900 | 350 | 0.20 | 0.89 |
| 12 | Minnesota profile | $27.83 | $57,880 | $40,520 | $101,360 | 600 | 0.20 | 0.88 |
| 13 | Virginia profile | $27.00 | $56,160 | $35,530 | $95,000 | 1,280 | 0.31 | 1.36 |
| 14 | Delaware profile | $26.78 | $55,710 | $40,400 | $80,700 | 110 | 0.23 | 1.01 |
| 15 | New Jersey profile | $26.31 | $54,710 | $39,980 | $103,750 | 410 | 0.10 | 0.42 |
| 16 | Rhode Island profile | $26.26 | $54,620 | $37,560 | $79,140 | 60 | 0.11 | 0.49 |
| 17 | Wyoming profile | $26.11 | $54,310 | $40,550 | $80,120 | 40 | 0.13 | 0.56 |
| 18 | Alaska profile | $25.69 | $53,440 | $39,620 | $105,970 | 70 | 0.22 | 0.97 |
| 19 | North Carolina profile | $25.43 | $52,890 | $36,600 | $98,560 | 1,710 | 0.35 | 1.51 |
| 20 | Texas profile | $24.91 | $51,810 | $35,650 | $99,930 | 3,220 | 0.23 | 1.00 |
| 21 | Nebraska profile | $24.88 | $51,750 | $38,950 | $89,480 | 160 | 0.16 | 0.69 |
| 22 | South Carolina profile | $24.78 | $51,530 | $37,000 | $93,740 | 620 | 0.27 | 1.17 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania profile | $24.62 | $51,200 | $38,380 | $91,470 | 1,220 | 0.20 | 0.88 |
| 24 | Florida profile | $24.35 | $50,640 | $35,990 | $85,830 | 3,660 | 0.37 | 1.61 |
| 25 | Massachusetts profile | $24.15 | $50,240 | $40,250 | $121,090 | 280 | 0.08 | 0.34 |
| 26 | Tennessee profile | $23.73 | $49,360 | $33,930 | $101,030 | 940 | 0.29 | 1.26 |
| 27 | Colorado profile | $23.43 | $48,730 | $41,110 | $86,430 | 540 | 0.19 | 0.82 |
| 28 | Michigan profile | $23.39 | $48,650 | $36,360 | $87,420 | 850 | 0.19 | 0.85 |
| 29 | Idaho profile | $23.03 | $47,910 | $39,520 | $69,710 | 210 | 0.25 | 1.09 |
| 30 | Arkansas profile | $22.96 | $47,750 | $35,990 | $107,930 | 370 | 0.28 | 1.23 |
| 31 | Kentucky profile | $22.91 | $47,650 | $37,340 | $70,150 | 350 | 0.17 | 0.76 |
| 32 | Montana profile | $22.80 | $47,430 | $39,900 | $73,190 | 70 | 0.13 | 0.56 |
| 33 | Ohio profile | $22.69 | $47,200 | $37,460 | $84,930 | 1,560 | 0.28 | 1.23 |
| 34 | Alabama profile | $22.50 | $46,810 | $35,990 | $61,420 | 530 | 0.25 | 1.10 |
| 35 | West Virginia profile | $22.31 | $46,410 | $35,990 | $78,560 | 170 | 0.24 | 1.03 |
| 36 | Hawaii profile | $21.99 | $45,750 | $41,830 | $83,050 | 70 | 0.11 | 0.46 |
| 37 | Kansas profile | $21.76 | $45,260 | $35,810 | $76,520 | 280 | 0.20 | 0.86 |
| 38 | Georgia profile | $21.66 | $45,060 | $36,570 | $96,680 | 1,460 | 0.30 | 1.30 |
| 39 | South Dakota profile | $21.56 | $44,840 | $40,050 | $49,560 | 60 | 0.13 | 0.56 |
| 40 | North Dakota profile | $21.30 | $44,310 | $32,710 | $61,320 | 60 | 0.13 | 0.56 |
| 41 | Maine profile | $21.07 | $43,830 | $36,550 | $67,230 | 210 | 0.32 | 1.40 |
| 42 | Louisiana profile | $20.17 | $41,950 | $35,000 | $67,690 | 860 | 0.44 | 1.94 |
| 43 | Wisconsin profile | $20.12 | $41,850 | $37,000 | $76,550 | 410 | 0.14 | 0.61 |
| 44 | Indiana profile | $20.11 | $41,830 | $36,500 | $77,000 | 480 | 0.15 | 0.66 |
| 45 | Missouri profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $33,660 | $67,720 | 590 | 0.20 | 0.87 |
| 46 | New Mexico profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $35,660 | $66,350 | ** | ** | ** |
| 47 | Iowa profile | $19.77 | $41,110 | $36,920 | $64,080 | 170 | 0.11 | 0.48 |
| 48 | Oklahoma profile | $19.08 | $39,680 | $36,050 | $62,690 | 370 | 0.22 | 0.96 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $18.78 | $39,060 | $31,800 | $69,170 | 330 | 0.28 | 1.22 |
| – | Maryland profile | * | * | * | * | 560 | 0.20 | 0.89 |
| – | Nevada profile | * | * | * | * | 350 | 0.23 | 0.98 |
Part of Protective Service Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 33-9021 Private Detectives and Investigators.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 33-9021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 33-9021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.