A Pet Detective's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Pet Detective Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Pet Detectives. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $61,341.
California: $61,108.
Massachusetts: $60,294.
District of Columbia$61,341
California$61,108
Massachusetts$60,294
Washington$60,072
New Jersey$60,050
Alaska$59,972
Connecticut$59,208
New York$58,898
Hawaii$57,906
Rhode Island$57,440
Maryland$57,125
Minnesota$56,693
Colorado$56,526
Illinois$56,471
Oregon$56,260
Delaware$56,105
New Hampshire$56,008
Virginia$55,790
Pennsylvania$55,152
Nevada$54,831
North Dakota$54,726
Michigan$54,560
Wisconsin$54,499
Vermont$54,377
Texas$54,039
Maine$54,017
Arizona$53,983
Ohio$53,945
Georgia$53,435
Indiana$53,180
Wyoming$53,130
Utah$53,053
Iowa$53,019
Kansas$52,753
Louisiana$52,676
North Carolina$52,648
Missouri$52,637
Florida$52,421
Montana$52,305
Nebraska$52,194
Kentucky$52,133
South Carolina$51,911
Tennessee$51,773
Idaho$51,717
New Mexico$51,313
Oklahoma$51,224
Alabama$50,898
South Dakota$50,349
Arkansas$50,050
West Virginia$49,889
Mississippi$49,407
Top Paying Cities for Pet Detectives
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $69,878
San Francisco: $69,113
Oakland: $67,657
San Jose, CA$69,878
San Francisco, CA$69,113
Oakland, CA$67,657
New York, NY$63,789
Paramus, NJ$63,013
Queens Village, NY$63,011
Passaic, NJ$62,958
Bergenfield, NJ$62,953
Stamford, CT$62,831
Huntington, NY$62,808
Newark, NJ$62,399
Bridgeport, CT$62,282
Vallejo, CA$62,172
New Brunswick, NJ$62,150
Petaluma, CA$62,116
Middlesex, NJ$62,011
Somerset, NJ$61,972
Santa Cruz, CA$61,900
Boston, MA$61,562
Monterey, CA$61,368
Seattle, WA$61,241
Santa Rosa, CA$61,230
Los Angeles, CA$61,213
Juneau, AK$61,069
Washington, DC$61,008
Orange, CA$60,811
Santa Ana, CA$60,665
Long Beach, CA$60,609
Anaheim, CA$60,598
Anchorage, AK$60,571
Santa Maria, CA$60,404
Everett, WA$60,393
Danbury, CT$60,198
Bremerton, WA$60,122
Tacoma, WA$59,922
New Suffolk, NY$59,921
Sacramento, CA$59,906
Santa Barbara, CA$59,845
Trenton, NJ$59,784
San Diego, CA$59,784
Brockton, MA$59,723
Fairbanks, AK$59,587
Lompoc, CA$59,446
Lowell, MA$59,401
Ventura, CA$59,391
Nashua, NH$59,380
Stockton, CA$59,374
Modesto, CA$58,970
Poughkeepsie, NY$58,848
Olympia, WA$58,742
Kennewick, WA$58,742
New Haven, CT$58,720
Lawrence, MA$58,521
Hartford, CT$58,465
Riverside, CA$58,454
New Bedford, MA$58,399
Richland, WA$58,399
Bakersfield, CA$58,321
San Bernardino, CA$58,299
New Britain, CT$58,294
Atlantic City, NJ$58,294
New London, CT$58,272
Norwich, CT$58,255
Portsmouth, NH$58,244
Boulder, CO$58,126
Portland, OR$58,050
Worcester, MA$58,044
Minneapolis, MN$57,873
Philadelphia, PA$57,795
Honolulu, HI$57,612
Saint Paul, MN$57,586
Vineland, NJ$57,573
Providence, RI$57,413
Chicago, IL$57,252
Bellingham, WA$57,186
Springfield, MA$57,141
Baltimore, MD$57,125
Chico, CA$56,986
Pittsfield, MA$56,837
Manchester, NH$56,731
Spokane, WA$56,488
Denver, CO$56,482
Albany, NY$56,222
Troy, NY$56,199
Nassau, NY$56,140
Schenectady, NY$56,083
Wilmington, DE$56,039
Burlington, VT$55,961
Salem, OR$55,939
Portland, ME$55,767
Yakima, WA$55,712
Rochester, MN$55,540
Reno, NV$55,513
Fresno, CA$55,513
Milwaukee, WI$55,463
Detroit, MI$55,407
Ann Arbor, MI$55,398
Allentown, PA$55,391
Colorado Springs, CO$55,296
Syracuse, NY$55,269
Carson City, NV$55,269
Houston, TX$55,191
Eugene, OR$55,163
Gary, IN$55,097
Springfield, OR$55,053
Bismarck, ND$55,042
Galveston, TX$55,003
Medford, OR$54,920
Fort Collins, CO$54,898
Concord, NH$54,870
Austin, TX$54,853
Mesa, AZ$54,737
Reading, PA$54,731
Phoenix, AZ$54,726
Dallas, TX$54,709
Saint Cloud, MN$54,656
Madison, WI$54,582
Utica, NY$54,432
Rochester, NY$54,344
Des Moines, IA$54,338
Raleigh, NC$54,332
Atlanta, GA$54,249
Battle Creek, MI$54,233
Salt Lake City, UT$54,216
Lancaster, PA$54,133
Harrisburg, PA$54,055
Kansas City, MO$54,000
Champaign, IL$53,989
Kansas City, KS$53,989
Fort Worth, TX$53,983
Columbus, OH$53,974
Boca Raton, FL$53,961
Pittsburgh, PA$53,939
Richmond, VA$53,917
Indianapolis, IN$53,906
Cleveland, OH$53,900
Las Vegas, NV$53,834
Cincinnati, OH$53,834
Petersburg, VA$53,751
Huntsville, AL$53,668
Lansing, MI$53,631
Lebanon, PA$53,623
Pueblo, CO$53,618
Appleton, WI$53,601
Buffalo, NY$53,579
Dayton, OH$53,562
Racine, WI$53,551
Charlotte, NC$53,546
Saint Louis, MO$53,529
York, PA$53,496
Elkhart, IN$53,496
Gastonia, NC$53,485
Billings, MT$53,472
Beaumont, TX$53,457
Lorain, OH$53,446
Benton Harbor, MI$53,435
Toledo, OH$53,424
Binghamton, NY$53,396
Rock Hill, SC$53,391
Rockford, IL$53,363
Springfield, IL$53,341
Elyria, OH$53,335
Fargo, ND$53,335
Flagstaff, AZ$53,296
Fort Lauderdale, FL$53,263
Duluth, MN$53,230
Miami, FL$53,230
Cheyenne, WY$53,191
Grand Forks, ND$53,191
Bangor, ME$53,069
Cedar Rapids, IA$53,008
Durham, NC$52,985
Louisville, KY$52,981
Grand Rapids, MI$52,970
Hialeah, FL$52,964
Casper, WY$52,886
Scranton, PA$52,820
New Orleans, LA$52,803
Virginia Beach, VA$52,798
Akron, OH$52,770
Peoria, IL$52,698
Sarasota, FL$52,687
Nashville, TN$52,648
Omaha, NE$52,648
Green Bay, WI$52,648
Baton Rouge, LA$52,621
Charleston, SC$52,609
Jamestown, NY$52,582
Davenport, IA$52,582
Tucson, AZ$52,554
Saint Petersburg, FL$52,521
Tampa, FL$52,510
Evansville, IN$52,476
Port Arthur, TX$52,476
Bradenton, FL$52,454
Santa Fe, NM$52,355
Orlando, FL$52,255
Clearwater, FL$52,238
Canton, OH$52,122
La Crosse, WI$52,122
Albuquerque, NM$52,089
Newport News, VA$52,083
High Point, NC$52,067
Ogden, UT$52,044
Corpus Christi, TX$52,000
Norfolk, VA$51,967
Laramie, WY$51,967
Rock Island, IL$51,934
Saginaw, MI$51,922
Jacksonville, FL$51,917
Salisbury, NC$51,906
Boise, ID$51,895
Moline, IL$51,867
Fort Myers, FL$51,850
Memphis, TN$51,839
Tulsa, OK$51,812
Waterloo, IA$51,778
Spartanburg, SC$51,723
Lincoln, NE$51,695
Fort Wayne, IN$51,684
Provo, UT$51,679
Cedar Falls, IA$51,612
San Antonio, TX$51,590
Greensboro, NC$51,568
South Bend, IN$51,562
Savannah, GA$51,501
Muskegon, MI$51,479
Birmingham, AL$51,474
Winston Salem, NC$51,447
Lake Charles, LA$51,313
Anderson, IN$51,302
Lexington, KY$51,285
Augusta, GA$51,269
Greenville, SC$51,269
Lima, OH$51,224
Wichita, KS$51,219
Tuscaloosa, AL$51,219
Columbia, SC$51,169
Springfield, OH$51,158
Asheville, NC$51,069
Bloomington, IN$51,031
Knoxville, TN$50,831
Shreveport, LA$50,826
Wilmington, NC$50,753
Roanoke, VA$50,753
Topeka, KS$50,654
Frankfort, KY$50,648
Oklahoma City, OK$50,609
Chillicothe, OH$50,587
Longview, TX$50,582
Melbourne, FL$50,576
Sioux Falls, SD$50,488
Mobile, AL$50,482
Terre Haute, IN$50,460
Altoona, PA$50,427
Amarillo, TX$50,388
Killeen, TX$50,371
Fayetteville, AR$50,327
Chattanooga, TN$50,310
Sioux City, IA$50,260
Idaho Falls, ID$50,249
Lynchburg, VA$50,205
Gainesville, FL$50,133
Portsmouth, OH$50,105
Little Rock, AR$50,094
Lafayette, LA$50,072
Youngstown, OH$50,072
Daytona Beach, FL$50,039
Clarksville, TN$50,033
Pensacola, FL$50,028
Temple, TX$50,024
Hopkinsville, KY$49,862
Erie, PA$49,850
Florence, SC$49,828
Charleston, WV$49,740
Great Falls, MT$49,712
Macon, GA$49,634
Tallahassee, FL$49,629
Fayetteville, NC$49,618
Waco, TX$49,607
Helena, MT$49,568
Pine Bluff, AR$49,547
Vincennes, IN$49,479
Lubbock, TX$49,457
Alamogordo, NM$49,424
Twin Falls, ID$49,374
Rapid City, SD$49,357
Jackson, MS$49,258
Huntington, WV$49,254
Greenville, MS$49,252
Parkersburg, WV$49,196
Montgomery, AL$49,186
Wichita Falls, TX$49,130
Springfield, MO$49,130
Biloxi, MS$49,103
Monroe, LA$49,047
Johnstown, PA$49,008
Sumter, SC$48,986
Columbus, GA$48,981
Pascagoula, MS$48,875
Abilene, TX$48,875
Kingsport, TN$48,731
Albany, GA$48,731
Gulfport, MS$48,715
Alexandria, LA$48,532
Fort Smith, AR$48,393
El Paso, TX$48,244
Las Cruces, NM$47,994
Harlingen, TX$47,854
Pocatello, ID$47,845
Florence, AL$47,773
Brownsville, TX$47,762
Mcallen, TX$47,645
Dothan, AL$47,568
Columbus, MS$47,239
Altus, OK$46,981
Lawton, OK$46,875
Pierre, SD$46,676
What Skills Can Increase a Pet Detective's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Flexibility (Mentioned in 4.27% Job Postings): Adapting, responding to, and dealing with the changing environment and new situations.
ATM (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): Ability to work with, troubleshoot and maintain automated teller machine to provide support to banking clients.
EHS (Mentioned in 1.52% Job Postings): Environment, health and safety, EHS is an acronym for the set that studies and implements the practical aspects of protecting the environment and maintaining health and safety at occupation.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Pet Detective's salary.
Communicates Effectively: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 19%.
Dedication: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Pet Detective Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Pet Detective roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 38% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Business Services and Financial Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, Pet Detective positions in Software & Networking or Transportation typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Pet Detective as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Pet Detective
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Business Services
$66,482
$32.0
20%
Financial Services
$65,374
$31.0
18%
Construction
$63,712
$31.0
15%
Aerospace & Defense
$62,050
$30.0
12%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$60,942
$29.0
10%
How Education impacts a Pet Detective's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Pet Detectives enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Pet Detective with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$56,397
and $59,972).
Pet Detective Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Pet Detective's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$50,329
Average$55,402/year
$59,980
$4,194
Average$4,617/month
$4,998
$968
Average$1,065/week
$1,153
$24
Average$27/hour
$29
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$59,980
$4,998
$1,153
$29
Average
$55,402
$4,617
$1,065
$27
25th Percentile
$50,329
$4,194
$968
$24
Salaries of Jobs related to Pet Detective
Homicide Detective$89,686
Detective Sergeant$82,101
Detective Lieutenant$80,504
Detective Investigator$73,613
Forensic Detective$67,531
Private Detective$53,801
Narcotics Detective$51,889
Store Detective$37,538
Detective$37,314
Senior Detective$37,048
Police Detective$34,416
Salary Trends for Pet Detective
Salaries for a Pet Detective can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $52,342 in 2023
to around $51,563 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Pet Detective salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Pet Detective Over Time
$???
$52,342
$52,145
$51,563
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$52,342
2024
$52,145
2025
$51,563
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Pet Detective
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Pet Detective
Here are companies hiring for Pet Detective and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Pet Detective Job
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FAQ about Pet Detective
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Pet Detective?
The Business Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Pet Detective roles,
with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
