Detectives and Criminal Investigators: salary, outlook & degrees
Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.
Middle half $69,330–$120,520. 114,430 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
66% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $80,438.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 7,800 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Medium preparation.
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice And Fire Protection | 33% | Criminal Justice · Security / Homeland Security |
| Psychology | 6% | Psychology |
| Political Science And Government | 6% | Political Science |
| Criminology | 4% | Criminology |
| Business Management And Administration | 4% | Business Administration |
| General Business | 3% | Business |
| Accounting | 3% | Accounting |
| History | 3% | History |
| International Relations | 3% | International Relations |
| Sociology | 2% | Sociology |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $160,760 |
| Maryland | $126,730 |
| California | $124,840 |
| Delaware | $122,050 |
| New Jersey | $116,300 |
| Washington | $115,790 |
| Alaska | $114,940 |
| Hawaii | $113,940 |
| Virginia | $112,760 |
| Massachusetts | $110,150 |
| Oregon | $107,450 |
| Vermont | $106,330 |
| Colorado | $105,480 |
| Arizona | $102,340 |
| New York | $101,240 |
| Nebraska | $100,530 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,580 |
| Connecticut | $95,240 |
| Nevada | $94,470 |
| Montana | $92,410 |
| West Virginia | $92,410 |
| Illinois | $91,190 |
| Wisconsin | $91,040 |
| Michigan | $90,650 |
| Texas | $90,510 |
| New Hampshire | $89,290 |
| Rhode Island | $88,450 |
| Maine | $88,310 |
| New Mexico | $86,840 |
| North Dakota | $82,290 |
| Wyoming | $81,880 |
| Oklahoma | $80,430 |
| Minnesota | $80,000 |
| Iowa | $79,560 |
| Ohio | $79,300 |
| Utah | $78,920 |
| South Dakota | $77,730 |
| Tennessee | $77,090 |
| Florida | $77,060 |
| Kansas | $75,740 |
| Missouri | $75,650 |
| Idaho | $72,520 |
| Kentucky | $71,670 |
| PR | $70,760 |
| Indiana | $70,340 |
| Alabama | $66,290 |
| Georgia | $65,430 |
| North Carolina | $63,280 |
| South Carolina | $62,760 |
| Louisiana | $60,450 |
| Mississippi | $58,640 |
| Arkansas | $54,500 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$99,080
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$92,420
- Jacksonville$74,580
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$70,760
- Tallahassee$58,410
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$76,310
- Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent$71,680
- Gainesville$66,350
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$156,750
- Richmond$91,080
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$93,790
- Roanoke$114,050
- Lynchburg$96,430
- Kingsport-Bristol$84,660
- Charlottesville$93,160
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$77,250
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$127,890
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$124,840
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$109,500
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$127,420
- El Centro$123,970
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$126,700
- Fresno$109,720
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$158,640
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
Knowledge used
- Law and Government
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
- English Language
Work styles
- Stress Tolerance
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
People in this job tend to have Investigative (analytical), Conventional (organizing), Realistic (hands-on) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Detectives and Criminal Investigators: questions
How much do detectives and Criminal Investigators make?
Detectives and Criminal Investigators earn a U.S. median $93,790 a year; the middle half earn $69,330 to $120,520 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $76,144 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is detectives and Criminal Investigators a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 0.2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,800 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a detectives and Criminal Investigator?
BLS lists the typical entry education as high school diploma or equivalent. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is criminal Justice And Fire Protection (33%).
How much do detectives and Criminal Investigators make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $77,060 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $93,790 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 33-3021. Method
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Cite this: “Detectives and Criminal Investigators: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/detectives-and-criminal-investigators.