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Private Investigators Salary in the United States

How much does a Private Investigators make in the United States? The salary range for a Private Investigators job is from $53,533 to $85,247 per year in the United States. Click on the filter to check out Private Investigators job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

Average base salary
updated at March 01, 2025
$74,801
Per Year
The average salary for a Private Investigators is $74,801
per Year in the United States.
Individually reported data submitted by users of our website

HOW SHOULD YOU USE THIS DATA?

Employees: Use this as a guide for salary expectations, but be aware that responsibilities can change across companies for the same job title, so there may be differences between this data, other free site and our subscription products bought by employers.

Employers: This data could be used as reference point in your market pricing, but not the only source, due to differences across jobs locations, and sizes of companies.Consider additional sources like our Employer reported data.

Base Salary
$53,533
$74,801
Medium
$85,247

Highest Paying Cities for Private Investigators in the United States

Private Investigators salaries in the United States will pay differently by cities. Below following are the eight cities with the highest income for Private Investigators jobs in the United States. The city with the highest salary is San Jose. Click on the Private Investigators salary in cities you are interested in to view detailed job salary information.

States with Higher Salaries for Private Investigators

The five states where Private Investigators jobs get higher salaries in the United States are: District of Columbia, California, New Jersey, Alaska, and Massachusetts. Compared with the average salary of a Private Investigators in the United States, the state of District of Columbia with the highest job income for this job. The second and third states are California and New Jersey respectively. The high or low salary paid to Private Investigators by the US has a greater relationship with the demand for jobs and the cost of living.

How Much Do Similar Professions Get Paid in the United States?

There are some different titles for Private Investigators jobs, and the job title of Private Investigators will vary in different companies. The job title has a lot to do with the department and responsibilities, and the same job title will vary in different departments. The following list is the salary of jobs similar to Private Investigators, start to view Private Investigators-related jobs you are interested in.
Private Detective
Average salary
United States
$52,101
per Year
Private Investigator
Average salary
United States
$52,102
per Year
Private Housekeeper
Average salary
United States
$32,307
per Year
Private Tutor
Average salary
United States
$61,418
per Year
Private Chauffeur
Average salary
United States
$40,657
per Year
Private Chef
Average salary
United States
$92,951
per Year

How Much Should You Be Earning?

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What Does a Private Investigators Do?

During any investigation, private investigators must always ensure that they act within all municipal, provincial and federal laws, as well as follow the rules, regulations and Code of Conduct found in the.

December 21, 2021

In the movies, private eyes may break into buildings to get information, follow people and take photos of what’s happening inside a home, or perform other acts that real private investigators aren’t allowed to do.

December 19, 2021

Inside a home, the person has an expectation of privacy, so private investigators cannot take photos through the windows into the home.

December 14, 2021

Following this, several private investigators formed Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) in order to try to get the licensing laws reinstated, but the bills died in the General Assembly.

December 12, 2021

Finally, private investigators may work in a more general capacity, providing a wide array of investigative services to clients.

December 05, 2021

Most Common Benefits for Private Investigators

Social Security
Healthcare
401(k)
Pension
Disability
Time Off (days)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about salaries for a Private Investigators
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During any investigation, private investigators must always ensure that they act within all municipal, provincial and federal laws, as well as follow the rules, regulations and Code of Conduct found in the.
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Check the below career pages for detailed pay ranges for similar professions to Private Investigators:
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Explore our personal salary report to know the Private Investigators market value in the United States. And find out if any places are having a higher Private Investigators salary.
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The highest Private Investigators salary is $85,247, while the lowest is $53,533 in the United States.
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