Pay by state · 50 states
Private Detective and Investigator Salary by State (2026)
Private Detectives and Investigators earn the most in Oregon at $76,480 a year and the least in Mississippi at $39,060 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $51,220. All 50 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $76,480Oregon
- National median
- $51,220BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $39,060Mississippi
- States reporting
- 50of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Private Detective and Investigator salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of private detectives and investigators OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OROregon | $76,480 | $55,660 | $92,390 | 610 | $73,993 |
| 2 | CTConnecticut | $75,010 | $42,130 | $83,320 | 400 | $72,396 |
| 3 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $72,720 | $46,330 | $107,920 | N/A | $66,169 |
| 4 | VTVermont | $67,910 | $44,640 | $76,960 | 90 | $69,326 |
| 5 | NHNew Hampshire | $65,370 | $46,970 | $78,300 | 280 | $62,756 |
| 6 | WAWashington | $64,080 | $46,580 | $84,700 | 750 | $59,881 |
| 7 | CACalifornia | $61,250 | $45,380 | $82,110 | 4,190 | $55,320 |
| 8 | AZArizona | $61,030 | $41,450 | $79,790 | 790 | $60,620 |
| 9 | ILIllinois | $60,210 | $44,380 | $79,140 | 1,300 | $60,235 |
| 10 | NYNew York | $59,140 | $45,970 | $80,910 | 1,300 | $54,799 |
| 11 | UTUtah | $57,910 | $48,460 | $61,090 | 350 | $58,575 |
| 12 | MNMinnesota | $57,880 | $45,930 | $83,670 | 600 | $58,689 |
| 13 | VAVirginia | $56,160 | $41,200 | $76,680 | 1,280 | $55,547 |
| 14 | DEDelaware | $55,710 | $47,520 | $67,800 | 110 | $55,817 |
| 15 | NJNew Jersey | $54,710 | $42,890 | $91,990 | 410 | $50,283 |
| 16 | RIRhode Island | $54,620 | $39,830 | $79,140 | 60 | $53,402 |
| 17 | WYWyoming | $54,310 | $42,800 | $74,240 | 40 | $58,593 |
| 18 | AKAlaska | $53,440 | $42,780 | $71,240 | 70 | $52,208 |
| 19 | NCNorth Carolina | $52,890 | $41,000 | $74,900 | 1,710 | $56,071 |
| 20 | TXTexas | $51,810 | $36,810 | $72,660 | 3,220 | $53,381 |
| 21 | NENebraska | $51,750 | $42,800 | $76,000 | 160 | $57,434 |
| 22 | SCSouth Carolina | $51,530 | $40,140 | $73,430 | 620 | $54,966 |
| 23 | PAPennsylvania | $51,200 | $44,840 | $71,830 | 1,220 | $52,474 |
| 24 | FLFlorida | $50,640 | $38,120 | $64,080 | 3,660 | $48,968 |
| 25 | MAMassachusetts | $50,240 | $42,540 | $94,660 | 280 | $47,505 |
| 26 | TNTennessee | $49,360 | $38,520 | $99,170 | 940 | $53,728 |
| 27 | COColorado | $48,730 | $44,150 | $67,800 | 540 | $47,287 |
| 28 | MIMichigan | $48,650 | $38,410 | $61,590 | 850 | $50,563 |
| 29 | IDIdaho | $47,910 | $44,530 | $65,350 | 210 | $50,171 |
| 30 | ARArkansas | $47,750 | $37,970 | $69,990 | 370 | $54,925 |
| 31 | KYKentucky | $47,650 | $40,220 | $56,080 | 350 | $52,851 |
| 32 | MTMontana | $47,430 | $42,640 | $55,040 | 70 | $50,114 |
| 33 | OHOhio | $47,200 | $41,600 | $70,910 | 1,560 | $50,876 |
| 34 | ALAlabama | $46,810 | $37,740 | $52,610 | 530 | $52,700 |
| 35 | WVWest Virginia | $46,410 | $37,060 | $60,740 | 170 | $51,856 |
| 36 | HIHawaii | $45,750 | $43,790 | $66,350 | 70 | $41,609 |
| 37 | KSKansas | $45,260 | $36,900 | $60,610 | 280 | $50,251 |
| 38 | GAGeorgia | $45,060 | $38,650 | $59,950 | 1,460 | $46,795 |
| 39 | SDSouth Dakota | $44,840 | $40,860 | $48,550 | 60 | $50,617 |
| 40 | NDNorth Dakota | $44,310 | $39,840 | $50,440 | 60 | $49,809 |
| 41 | MEMaine | $43,830 | $39,580 | $54,070 | 210 | $45,162 |
| 42 | PRPuerto Rico | $42,190 | $21,840 | $45,900 | 120 | N/A |
| 43 | LALouisiana | $41,950 | $36,750 | $52,930 | 860 | $47,559 |
| 44 | WIWisconsin | $41,850 | $38,580 | $58,210 | 410 | $44,476 |
| 45 | INIndiana | $41,830 | $37,990 | $53,590 | 480 | $44,820 |
| 46 | MOMissouri | $41,600 | $37,480 | $51,880 | 590 | $45,806 |
| 47 | NMNew Mexico | $41,600 | $36,900 | $64,280 | N/A | $45,113 |
| 48 | IAIowa | $41,110 | $38,380 | $54,680 | 170 | $46,843 |
| 49 | OKOklahoma | $39,680 | $37,110 | $58,430 | 370 | $45,171 |
| 50 | MSMississippi | $39,060 | $36,210 | $52,360 | 330 | $44,921 |
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 Private Detectives and Investigators, that changes the ranking: Oregon leads on raw pay at $76,480, while Oregon leads once prices are taken into account at $73,993.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Private Detective and Investigator pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Private Detectives and Investigators the most?
Oregon reports the highest median wage for Private Detectives and Investigators at $76,480 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Connecticut ($75,010) and District of Columbia ($72,720).
Which state pays Private Detectives and Investigators the least?
Mississippi reports the lowest median for Private Detectives and Investigators at $39,060 a year, $37,420 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Private Detectives and Investigators earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Oregon first at $73,993 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $76,480. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.