Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Private Detectives and Investigators salary by state
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$62,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$6,000
9.7% of base
Total target cash
$68,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$3,50050th$6,00075th$10,000
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Private Detectives and Investigators is a professional role within the function in the Protective Service job family.
Typical entry preparation: Bachelor's Degree and up to 2 years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Write reports or case summaries to document investigations.
Conduct private investigations on a paid basis.
Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax or legal filings, or other resources to locate persons or to compile information for investigations.
Conduct personal background investigations, such as pre-employment checks, to obtain information about an individual's character, financial status, or personal history.
Expose fraudulent insurance claims or stolen funds.
Top skills:Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingWriting
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Private Detectives and Investigators pay by experience level
Entry level$38,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$42,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$53,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$76,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$101,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+6%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
3,900
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Private Detectives and Investigators salary by industry
General Merchandise Retailers
12,290 workers
$46,500
Administrative and Support Services
7,400 workers
$57,500
Investigation and Security Services
6,700 workers
$57,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
3,120 workers
$78,000
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities
2,730 workers
$70,500
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
2,550 workers
$81,500
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only)
2,360 workers
$73,000
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
2,000 workers
$77,000
Management of Companies and Enterprises
1,270 workers
$87,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises
1,270 workers
$87,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 154,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
44.5%
White
71.1%
Black or African American
21.8%
Asian
4.7%
Hispanic or Latino
18.2%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $53,320 to $51,220.
-3.9% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$38,000
Early career25th percentile
$42,000
Median50th percentile
$53,000
Experienced75th percentile
$76,500
Top earners90th percentile
$101,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingWriting
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Write reports or case summaries to document investigations.
Conduct private investigations on a paid basis.
Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax or legal filings, or other resources to locate persons or to compile information for investigations.
Conduct personal background investigations, such as pre-employment checks, to obtain information about an individual's character, financial status, or personal history.
Expose fraudulent insurance claims or stolen funds.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$62,500
2027$64,500
2028$67,000
2029$69,500
2030$71,500
2031$74,000
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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StateYears of experienceCurrent salary
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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How much does a Private Detectives and Investigators make?
The median market pay for a Private Detectives and Investigators in the United States is about $62,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Private Detectives and Investigators?
Most Private Detectives and Investigators pay falls between about $42,000 (25th percentile) and $76,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $101,000.
What does a Private Detectives and Investigators do?
Core responsibilities include: write reports or case summaries to document investigations; and conduct private investigations on a paid basis.
Is pay for Private Detectives and Investigators roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $53,320 in 2020 to $51,220 in 2025, a change of -3.9% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Private Detectives and Investigators pays 11% below the average across 28 roles in the Protective Service job family (family average $70,500).
Need Private Detectives and Investigators pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
