The highest-paying states for detectives and criminal investigators (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of detectives and criminal investigators in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $142,420, District of Columbia is the highest paying state for detectives and criminal investigators. It is followed by Alaska (average annual salary $141,210). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of detectives and criminal investigators in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $142,420 |
$85,560 | 2,870 |
| 2 | Alaska | $141,210 |
$75,500 | 110 |
| 3 | Maryland | $116,770 |
$59,070 | 890 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $107,740 |
$94,490 | 430 |
| 5 | California | $107,240 |
$73,320 | 11,280 |
| 6 | Washington | $105,120 |
$74,590 | 1,560 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $98,320 |
$60,990 | 3,740 |
| 8 | New York | $96,200 |
$61,410 | 9,950 |
| 9 | Vermont | $95,220 |
$61,940 | 180 |
| 10 | Oregon | $95,220 |
$59,990 | 560 |
| 11 | Illinois | $95,040 |
$62,650 | 2,570 |
| 12 | Arizona | $93,830 |
$55,000 | 5,260 |
| 13 | Virginia | $93,500 |
$48,270 | 3,390 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $93,220 |
$59,170 | 1,620 |
| 15 | Puerto Rico | $92,580 |
$33,270 | 520 |
| 16 | Colorado | $92,440 |
$60,280 | 1,780 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $92,070 |
$68,290 | 800 |
| 18 | Montana | $89,940 |
$57,700 | 440 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $86,280 |
$64,190 | 3,240 |
| 20 | Michigan | $83,490 |
$63,590 | 1,960 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $83,010 |
$60,710 | 1,530 |
| 22 | Texas | $82,090 |
$46,550 | 17,890 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $81,660 |
$43,830 | 1,840 |
| 24 | Nevada | $80,240 |
$53,390 | 660 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $80,080 |
$70,160 | 390 |
| 26 | Delaware | $80,060 |
$58,070 | 100 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $79,480 |
$49,490 | 280 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $79,060 |
$48,030 | 370 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $76,340 |
$53,900 | 1,550 |
| 30 | Ohio | $76,270 |
$49,990 | 2,210 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $75,470 |
$54,720 | 390 |
| 32 | Iowa | $75,070 |
$52,350 | 390 |
| 33 | Florida | $74,120 |
$42,900 | 5,950 |
| 34 | Missouri | $72,740 |
$42,430 | 1,460 |
| 35 | Maine | $72,180 |
$50,840 | 530 |
| 36 | Utah | $70,680 |
$43,820 | 430 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $70,680 |
$41,700 | 230 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $70,480 |
$53,990 | 150 |
| 39 | Idaho | $66,990 |
$45,850 | 510 |
| 40 | Alabama | $62,420 |
$40,150 | 1,110 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $62,070 |
$46,450 | 220 |
| 42 | Indiana | $61,500 |
$40,000 | 990 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $60,430 |
$41,880 | 1,820 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $59,810 |
$43,260 | 1,010 |
| 45 | Kansas | $58,880 |
$38,960 | 920 |
| 46 | Georgia | $58,670 |
$39,070 | 4,030 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $58,430 |
$39,520 | 660 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $55,360 |
$43,400 | 3,060 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $53,320 |
$36,940 | 1,480 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $52,470 |
$40,980 | 1,160 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $47,950 |
$35,000 | 930 |
| 52 | Arkansas | $45,360 |
$36,310 | 520 |