Hourly Wage for Police Detective Salary in the United States

Police Detective Salary in the United States

What is the hourly salary range of Police Detective?

As of May 01, 2026, the average hourly pay of Police Detective in the United States is $17. While Salary.com is seeing that Police Detective salary in the US can go up to $19 or down to $15, but most earn between $16 and $18. Salary.com shows the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Police Detective in the United States.

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Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
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Police Detective Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Hourly Pay Rate Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Police Detective Salary $15 US May 01, 2026
25th Percentile Police Detective Salary $16 US May 01, 2026
50th Percentile Police Detective Salary $17 US May 01, 2026
75th Percentile Police Detective Salary $18 US May 01, 2026
90th Percentile Police Detective Salary $19 US May 01, 2026
25% $16 10% $15 90% $19 75% $18 $17 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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What is a Police Detective ?

A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crime by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads them to arrest criminals and enable them to be convicted in court. A detective may work for the police or privately....

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/18/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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Understand the total hourly compensation opportunity for a Police Detective, hourly wage plus other pay elements

Average Hourly Wage

Core compensation

 
 
 
16
18
17

Average Total Hourly Cash Compensation

Includes base and short-term incentives

 
 
 
14
27
18
These charts show the average hourly wage (core compensation), as well as the average total hourly cash compensation for the job of Police Detective in the United States. The average hourly rate for Police Detective ranges from $16 to $18 with the average hourly pay of $17. The total hourly cash compensation, which includes base and short-term incentives, can vary anywhere from $14 to $27 with the average total hourly cash compensation of $18.

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16
18

 

Learn more about: Compensation Packages, Employee Flight Risk, Gender Pay Gap, Job Openings for This Role

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