Private Detectives and Investigators Salary in the US
A private detectives and investigators earns a national median of $51,220 a year (mean $60,150) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #526 of 825.
How much does a private detectives and investigators earn in the US?
A private detectives and investigators in the United States earns a median of $51,220 a year (mean $60,150), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 0% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 35,580 people work in this occupation (SOC 33-9021), ranked #526 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$51,220
per year
Mean
$60,150
per year
Employment
35,580
US workers
National rank
#526
of 825 by median
What a private detectives and investigators earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a private detectives and investigators (SOC 33-9021) earns a median annual wage of $51,220 and a mean (average) of $60,150. The median is the midpoint — half of private detectives and investigators earn more and half earn less — and is 0% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a private detectives and investigators in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for private detectives and investigators is $51,220, and the mean (average) is $60,150. The median is the midpoint — half of private detectives and investigators earn more and half earn less.
- How does private detectives and investigators pay compare to the US average?
- At $51,220, a private detectives and investigators earns 0% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many private detectives and investigators are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 35,580 private detectives and investigators employed nationally (SOC 33-9021), across all industries.
- Where does this private detectives and investigators salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 33-9021. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
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Find private detectives and investigators jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which private detectives and investigators roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 33-9021 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries