Private Detectives and Investigators
SOC code 33-9021 · Protective Service Occupations
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,740 | $17.66 |
| 25th percentile | $40,700 | $19.57 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $51,220 | $24.62 |
| 75th percentile | $73,990 | $35.57 |
| 90th percentile | $97,630 | $46.94 |
See where a wage ranks
Estimate only, based on linear interpolation between this occupation's BLS OEWS reported percentiles above.
Wages by state (May 2024)
State-level employment and wage estimates for Private Detectives and Investigators (SOC 33-9021), from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) State estimates, May 2024. Data available for 51 of 51 states/DC for this occupation.
| State | Employment | Mean annual | Median annual | 10th pctl annual | 25th pctl annual | 75th pctl annual | 90th pctl annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 580 | $51,790 | $47,180 | $33,550 | $38,290 | $57,160 | $83,290 |
| Alaska | 80 | $62,310 | $54,080 | $40,090 | $43,940 | $74,830 | $100,170 |
| Arizona | 980 | $70,250 | $64,960 | $38,580 | $44,540 | $91,150 | $110,850 |
| Arkansas | 360 | $54,090 | $43,310 | $35,350 | $38,640 | $62,170 | $109,010 |
| California | 5,260 | $67,140 | $60,210 | $42,430 | $46,380 | $79,190 | $102,180 |
| Colorado | 580 | $59,800 | $49,720 | $42,130 | $43,960 | $68,640 | $87,260 |
| Connecticut | 400 | $64,200 | $68,290 | $38,680 | $42,020 | $81,280 | $89,580 |
| Delaware | 120 | $55,500 | $49,400 | $44,510 | $45,770 | $59,120 | $71,520 |
| District of Columbia | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Florida | 3,780 | $57,240 | $48,880 | $34,580 | $37,920 | $71,440 | $96,540 |
| Georgia | 1,340 | $55,190 | $44,590 | $37,810 | $39,510 | $59,250 | $92,780 |
| Hawaii | 60 | $56,750 | $44,390 | $42,330 | $43,120 | $67,250 | $80,170 |
| Idaho | 300 | $50,420 | $48,170 | $38,520 | $43,650 | $59,720 | $65,980 |
| Illinois | 1,770 | $71,380 | $73,070 | $40,710 | $47,970 | $85,570 | $98,800 |
| Indiana | 560 | $52,140 | $45,400 | $36,930 | $38,790 | $58,900 | $80,910 |
| Iowa | 140 | $51,930 | $45,070 | $38,490 | $40,360 | $55,560 | $64,730 |
| Kansas | 270 | $48,870 | $45,020 | $34,000 | $37,260 | $57,740 | $64,990 |
| Kentucky | 490 | $52,710 | $48,130 | $38,500 | $42,900 | $56,660 | $71,260 |
| Louisiana | 890 | $47,520 | $43,390 | $35,350 | $37,300 | $52,930 | $70,170 |
| Maine | 200 | $52,170 | $49,360 | $39,840 | $41,250 | $54,930 | $72,180 |
| Maryland | 560 | $84,950 | $74,360 | $41,580 | $49,980 | $127,860 | $132,340 |
| Massachusetts | 480 | $67,190 | $57,840 | $40,910 | $45,690 | $72,180 | $125,380 |
| Michigan | 980 | $55,580 | $49,700 | $36,230 | $39,710 | $64,010 | $87,760 |
| Minnesota | 940 | $69,860 | $72,070 | $42,220 | $48,460 | $86,180 | $101,950 |
| Mississippi | 370 | $48,380 | $39,460 | $27,790 | $35,890 | $52,370 | $91,830 |
| Missouri | 450 | $49,750 | $43,780 | $37,130 | $38,560 | $57,710 | $68,330 |
| Montana | 60 | $54,260 | $47,910 | $41,050 | $43,930 | $62,010 | $79,200 |
| Nebraska | 130 | $61,020 | $52,160 | $39,920 | $43,900 | $79,530 | $92,170 |
| Nevada | 420 | $70,010 | $47,550 | $40,250 | $41,970 | $69,420 | $187,200 |
| New Hampshire | 230 | $57,830 | $51,990 | $40,710 | $45,710 | $65,390 | $72,810 |
| New Jersey | 790 | $62,080 | $51,540 | $40,350 | $44,140 | $67,250 | $100,910 |
| New Mexico | 190 | $51,790 | $44,870 | $36,020 | $39,460 | $65,040 | $67,250 |
| New York | 1,850 | $73,290 | $59,840 | $42,680 | $51,510 | $85,640 | $113,220 |
| North Carolina | 1,370 | $62,490 | $55,190 | $36,150 | $39,790 | $78,100 | $99,550 |
| North Dakota | 60 | $48,050 | $45,710 | $31,110 | $33,140 | $58,240 | $64,820 |
| Ohio | 1,360 | $56,050 | $50,060 | $36,950 | $41,250 | $68,710 | $80,290 |
| Oklahoma | 320 | $47,780 | $40,470 | $36,420 | $37,790 | $53,890 | $63,980 |
| Oregon | 480 | $75,590 | $77,320 | $43,310 | $55,230 | $92,950 | $97,500 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,550 | $62,050 | $51,220 | $39,620 | $46,300 | $62,570 | $89,300 |
| Rhode Island | 100 | $59,440 | $51,610 | $38,000 | $43,310 | $76,490 | $79,940 |
| South Carolina | 650 | $61,700 | $53,890 | $37,840 | $41,810 | $74,300 | $100,450 |
| South Dakota | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | 690 | $59,230 | $46,560 | $37,150 | $39,310 | $66,250 | $105,140 |
| Texas | 3,440 | $58,630 | $48,070 | $35,890 | $37,430 | $74,420 | $99,600 |
| Utah | 360 | $57,700 | $51,130 | $38,660 | $42,050 | $69,940 | $85,120 |
| Vermont | — | $62,950 | $66,070 | $40,000 | $45,970 | $75,490 | $88,450 |
| Virginia | 900 | $61,010 | $48,740 | $34,690 | $38,490 | $75,940 | $103,910 |
| Washington | 840 | $72,710 | $65,370 | $43,510 | $47,740 | $82,640 | $100,890 |
| West Virginia | 250 | $49,880 | $46,830 | $22,090 | $37,370 | $61,180 | $77,700 |
| Wisconsin | 450 | $51,550 | $43,210 | $36,220 | $38,310 | $59,700 | $74,240 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $64,540 | $67,360 | $43,230 | $48,120 | $81,070 | $81,770 |
Hourly by-state wages are in the source dataset but not rendered here (annual only, to keep this table a manageable width); see the source link below for the full file. BLS suppresses some state-level figures for reliability: an em dash (—) means BLS did not publish that figure for this state and occupation. Per BLS’s own field definitions: "*" = a wage estimate is not available; "**" = an employment estimate is not available; "#" = a wage equal to or greater than $115.00 per hour or $239,200 per year (all three are shown here as —, not guessed). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), State occupational employment and wage estimates, May 2024.
Similar-paying occupations in Protective Service Occupations
- Parking Enforcement Workers 33-3041$46,730/yr
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers 33-1091$55,940/yr
- Bailiffs 33-3011$56,600/yr
- Animal Control Workers 33-9011$45,660/yr
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists 33-2022$56,870/yr
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 estimates. Wage figures are BLS OEWS estimates and may not reflect current pay.