Pay by state · 52 areas
Detective and Criminal Investigator Salary by State (2026)
Detectives and Criminal Investigators earn the most in District of Columbia at $160,760 a year and the least in Arkansas at $54,500 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $93,790. The table below covers all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $160,760District of Columbia
- National median
- $93,790BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $54,500Arkansas
- Areas reporting
- 52of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for detectives and criminal investigators
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1District of Columbia$160,760
- 2Maryland$126,730
- 3California$124,840
- 4Delaware$122,050
- 5New Jersey$116,300
Lowest median pay
- 1Arkansas$54,500
- 2Mississippi$58,640
- 3Louisiana$60,450
- 4South Carolina$62,760
- 5North Carolina$63,280
All states
Detective and Criminal Investigator salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of detectives and criminal investigators OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $160,760 | $114,230 | $170,810 | 2,980 | $146,277 |
| 2 | MDMaryland | $126,730 | $93,230 | $166,230 | 1,010 | $120,742 |
| 3 | CACalifornia | $124,840 | $99,270 | $136,020 | 12,610 | $112,753 |
| 4 | DEDelaware | $122,050 | $71,670 | $149,990 | 140 | $122,285 |
| 5 | NJNew Jersey | $116,300 | $91,360 | $134,000 | 3,080 | $106,888 |
| 6 | WAWashington | $115,790 | $96,540 | $126,170 | 1,850 | $108,202 |
| 7 | AKAlaska | $114,940 | $92,110 | $168,790 | 140 | $112,291 |
| 8 | HIHawaii | $113,940 | $106,870 | $140,750 | 440 | $103,628 |
| 9 | VAVirginia | $112,760 | $79,770 | $160,760 | 3,180 | $111,529 |
| 10 | MAMassachusetts | $110,150 | $92,020 | $146,230 | 1,300 | $104,154 |
| 11 | OROregon | $107,450 | $94,700 | $127,860 | 520 | $103,956 |
| 12 | VTVermont | $106,330 | $84,430 | $111,530 | 190 | $108,547 |
| 13 | COColorado | $105,480 | $86,290 | $115,130 | 1,930 | $102,356 |
| 14 | AZArizona | $102,340 | $77,730 | $111,360 | 5,250 | $101,652 |
| 15 | NYNew York | $101,240 | $77,470 | $124,860 | 9,600 | $93,809 |
| 16 | NENebraska | $100,530 | $79,510 | $123,930 | 290 | $111,572 |
| 17 | PAPennsylvania | $97,580 | $79,190 | $116,960 | 3,370 | $100,008 |
| 18 | CTConnecticut | $95,240 | $88,390 | $103,800 | 940 | $91,922 |
| 19 | NVNevada | $94,470 | $77,360 | $129,220 | 590 | $94,490 |
| 20 | MTMontana | $92,410 | $71,160 | $109,300 | 500 | $97,639 |
| 21 | WVWest Virginia | $92,410 | $56,770 | $149,280 | 220 | $103,255 |
| 22 | ILIllinois | $91,190 | $69,590 | $114,640 | 3,270 | $91,228 |
| 23 | WIWisconsin | $91,040 | $78,700 | $97,120 | 1,640 | $96,753 |
| 24 | MIMichigan | $90,650 | $80,140 | $120,560 | 2,220 | $94,214 |
| 25 | TXTexas | $90,510 | $64,660 | $109,300 | 18,870 | $93,254 |
| 26 | NHNew Hampshire | $89,290 | $80,770 | $105,870 | 290 | $85,720 |
| 27 | RIRhode Island | $88,450 | $77,760 | $99,100 | 360 | $86,478 |
| 28 | MEMaine | $88,310 | $75,210 | $109,300 | 550 | $90,994 |
| 29 | NMNew Mexico | $86,840 | $59,160 | $109,300 | 2,020 | $94,174 |
| 30 | NDNorth Dakota | $82,290 | $62,200 | $106,330 | 420 | $92,503 |
| 31 | WYWyoming | $81,880 | $71,930 | $104,080 | 170 | $88,337 |
| 32 | OKOklahoma | $80,430 | $60,300 | $102,250 | 1,220 | $91,561 |
| 33 | MNMinnesota | $80,000 | $69,580 | $100,090 | 1,970 | $81,119 |
| 34 | IAIowa | $79,560 | $67,370 | $90,380 | 410 | $90,654 |
| 35 | OHOhio | $79,300 | $64,480 | $105,690 | 2,140 | $85,477 |
| 36 | UTUtah | $78,920 | $61,240 | $115,210 | 550 | $79,827 |
| 37 | SDSouth Dakota | $77,730 | $63,110 | $110,880 | 250 | $87,745 |
| 38 | TNTennessee | $77,090 | $60,730 | $107,810 | 1,860 | $83,912 |
| 39 | FLFlorida | $77,060 | $60,790 | $120,180 | 6,440 | $74,516 |
| 40 | KSKansas | $75,740 | $57,530 | $91,560 | 1,060 | $84,092 |
| 41 | MOMissouri | $75,650 | $56,870 | $93,910 | 1,600 | $83,299 |
| 42 | IDIdaho | $72,520 | $60,100 | $100,420 | 630 | $75,942 |
| 43 | KYKentucky | $71,670 | $61,330 | $96,120 | 720 | $79,493 |
| 44 | PRPuerto Rico | $70,760 | $44,800 | $115,210 | 620 | N/A |
| 45 | INIndiana | $70,340 | $56,320 | $82,740 | 1,280 | $75,368 |
| 46 | ALAlabama | $66,290 | $49,860 | $92,610 | 1,340 | $74,632 |
| 47 | GAGeorgia | $65,430 | $55,310 | $79,220 | 5,070 | $67,949 |
| 48 | NCNorth Carolina | $63,280 | $57,040 | $80,330 | 3,360 | $67,086 |
| 49 | SCSouth Carolina | $62,760 | $55,490 | $77,200 | 1,470 | $66,945 |
| 50 | LALouisiana | $60,450 | $46,320 | $78,700 | 1,740 | $68,532 |
| 51 | MSMississippi | $58,640 | $49,270 | $78,230 | 810 | $67,439 |
| 52 | ARArkansas | $54,500 | $46,300 | $66,820 | 560 | $62,689 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For detectives and criminal investigators, the adjustment does not change the leader: District of Columbia is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $146,277.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Detective and Criminal Investigator pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays detectives and criminal investigators the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for detectives and criminal investigators at $160,760 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Maryland ($126,730) and California ($124,840).
Which state pays detectives and criminal investigators the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Arkansas reports the lowest median for detectives and criminal investigators at $54,500 a year, $106,260 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Puerto Rico reports $70,760.
In which states do detectives and criminal investigators earn over $100,000?
16 of the 50 states and DC have a median of $100,000 or more (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The highest is District of Columbia; the lowest of them is Nebraska at $100,530. The rest report less, down to $54,500 in Arkansas.
Is the highest-paying state the best for detectives and criminal investigators after cost of living?
Yes. District of Columbia stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $146,277 in national-average dollars from a raw $160,760. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.