What is the salary range for entry-level detectives and criminal investigators in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?

Entry-level Detectives and Criminal Investigators (10th percentile) in Denver-Aurora-Centennial earn approximately $75,275 per year. The 25th percentile is $99,653.

How competitive is the other talent market right now?

Based on JOLTS February 2026 data, the other sector has an openings rate of 3.2% and a quit rate of 1.9%. The overall labor market contracted slightly in February: 5.0M separations vs 4.8M hires. Hiring rate hit 3.1%, the lowest since April 2020. The "Great Stay" persists with quits at 1.9% for 8 consecutive months.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial

SOC 33-3021 · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO · BLS OEWS May 2024

Median Annual Salary

$108,368

$52.10/hr

15.8% higher than the US national median ($93,579)

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025

Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025

Next refresh: May 15, 2026

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The median salary for Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Denver-Aurora-Centennial is $108,368 per year ($52.10/hr). This is 15.8% higher than the national median of $93,579.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.

Wage Percentiles: Denver-Aurora-Centennial

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary	vs National
P50 MEDIAN	$52.10	$108,368	+15.8%

P10	$36.19	$75,275	--
P25	$47.91	$99,653	--
P75	$56.01	$116,501	--
P90	$80.60	$167,648	--

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Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

-0.7%

Little or no change

Annual openings

per year, on avg

Workforce today

118K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience

Less than 5 years

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300	47K	$78,340
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100	40K	$119,120

Wage range across top 5 industries: $78,340 to $119,120 (52% spread)

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median detectives and criminal investigators salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?

The median (P50) annual salary for Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Denver-Aurora-Centennial is approximately $108,368, based on BLS OEWS May 2024 data. This is 15.8% higher than the national median of $93,579. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.

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About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 15, 2026Verify on BLS.gov →

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