Detective Salary in the United States

How much does a Detective make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Detective in the United States is $37,301 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $18.

However, a Detective's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $42,827
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $35,796 to $40,194
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $34,426
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View as table View as graph 25% $35,796 10% $34,426 90% $42,827 75% $40,194 $37,301 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Detective Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $40,194 $3,349 $773 $19
Average $37,301 $3,108 $717 $18
25th Percentile $35,796 $2,983 $688 $17
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Key Factors That Influence Detective Salaries

A Detective's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Detective Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Detective's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $36,834
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $37,174
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $38,365
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $38,492
  • Expert (over 8 years): $38,577
Levels Salary
Entry Level Detective$36,834
Intermediate Level Detective$37,174
Senior Level Detective$38,365
Specialist Level Detective$38,492
Expert Level Detective$38,577
$36,834 0 yr
$37,174 < 2 yrs
$38,365 2-4 yrs
$38,492 5-8 yrs
$38,577 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for 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: $47,048
  • San Francisco: $46,586
  • Oakland: $45,552

What Skills Can Increase a Detective's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Communication Skills (Mentioned in 9.91% Job Postings): Communication skills are your ability to share or understand information, ideas, and feelings successfully.
  • Asset Management (Mentioned in 1.85% Job Postings): Asset management refers to systematic approach to the governance and realization of value from the things that a group or entity is responsible for, over their whole life cycles. It may apply both to tangible assets (physical objects such as buildings or equipment) and to intangible assets (such as human capital, intellectual property, goodwill and/or financial assets). Asset management is a systematic process of developing, operating, maintaining, upgrading, and disposing of assets in the most cost-effective manner (including all costs, risks and performance attributes). The term is commonly used in the financial sector to describe people and companies who manage investments on behalf of others. Those include, for example, investment managers that manage the assets of a pension fund. It is also increasingly used in both the business world and public infrastructure sectors to ensure a coordinated approach to the optimization of costs, risks, service/performance and sustainability.
  • First Aid (Mentioned in 0.29% Job Postings): First aid refers to medical attention that is usually administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Communication Skills 9.91%
Asset Management 1.85%
First Aid 0.29%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
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 Detective's salary.
  • Team Operations: Can increase your salary by up to 90%.
  • Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 33%.
  • CPR: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Team Operations
$70,872
90%
Analysis
$49,611
33%
CPR
$45,135
21%
Innovation
$44,762
20%
First Aid
$44,762
20%
Presentation
$44,389
19%
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How Education impacts a Detective's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many 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 Detective with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $35,333 and $40,070).

Detective Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Detective
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.0%
High School 31.6%
Associates 21.4%
Bachelors 40.8%
Masters 4.1%
Doctorate 1.0%
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Detective Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a 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.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Detective

Salaries for a Detective can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $32,676 in 2023 to around $32,606 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Detective salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Detective Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$32,676
2024
$32,893
2025
$32,606
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $32,676
2024 $32,893
2025 $32,606
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Detective

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Detective

Here are companies hiring for Detective and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Detective job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

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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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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