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.
$38,466
Low
$63,197
Average salary
$151,470
High
$18.49
Low
$30.38
Average salary
$72.82
High

Detective Salary Range

Low
$38,466
Average salary
$63,197
Experienced
$79,805
High
$151,470
Low
$18.49
Average salary
$30.38
Experienced
$38.37
High
$72.82
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

JobSalaryDifference
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%
Male
76%

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).
Jobemail
Don’t miss out on new job openings!
Create a job alert for: Detective
It's free, and you can cancel email updates at any time

Frequently asked questions about the salary of the Detective

How much does a Detective make in the US?
A Detective in the US earns an average of $63,197 gross per year, which is about $30.38 gross per hour. Everything you need to know about the salary of the Detective updated to 2024.
What is the starting salary for a Detective in the US?
The starting salary of a Detective in the US is around $38,466 gross per year. Loss Prevention Detectives, Private Investigators and CSIs usually have a lower salary.
What is the highest salary for a Detective in the US?
The highest salary of a Detective in the US can reach and exceed $151,470 gross per year. Forensic Investigators, Homicide Detectives, Narcotics Officers and Detectives employed by federal government agencies like the FBI usually have the highest salaries.
Get new jobs by email!
Get email updates for the latest Detective jobs
It's free, and you can cancel email updates at any time