Private Detectives and Investigators Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 33-9021 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$51,210
$24.62/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Private Detectives and Investigators salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$37K
P25$41K
P50$51K
P75$74K
P90$98K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.4% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $51,210 to $73,986 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Private Detectives and Investigators pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role fell 2.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of the broader market (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
the broader market is running a 4.4% job-openings rate with quits at 2.0% (BLS JOLTS).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.7 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.4M (4.4% rate), hires flat at 5.3M, quits steady at 2.0%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: national wages rose 3.2% over the year while CPI reached 3.5%, the first negative real-wage reading since 2022. Benefit costs accelerated to 3.8%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Private Detectives and Investigators is $51,210 per year ($24.62/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $40,706 and $73,986 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $97,635 per year. There are approximately 35,580 private detectives and investigators employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Gather, analyze, compile, and report information regarding individuals or organizations to clients, or detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishment.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+6.0%
Faster than average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
44K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
7% from new growth93% 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 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
General Merchandise Retailers
NAICS 455000
12K
$41,280
Investigation and Security Services
NAICS 561600
7K
$50,670
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only)
NAICS 5220A1
2K
$65,580
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
2K
$75,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
1K
$84,890
Wage range across top 5 industries: $41,280 to $84,890 (106% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.66
$36,733
P25
$19.57
$40,706
P50MEDIAN
$24.62
$51,210
P75
$35.57
$73,986
P90
$46.94
$97,635
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market stayed steady in June: job openings were little changed at 7.4M (rate 4.4%), hires held at 5.3M, and total separations changed little at 5.4M. Quits were 3.2M (rate 2.0%). Openings rose in transportation, warehousing & utilities (+97K) and fell in wholesale trade (-74K).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average private detectives and investigators salary?
The national median salary for Private Detectives and Investigators is $51,210 per year ($24.62/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $40,706 and $73,986 annually.
How much do top-earning private detectives and investigators make?
The 90th percentile salary for Private Detectives and Investigators is $97,635 per year ($46.94/hr). The 75th percentile is $73,986 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for private detectives and investigators?
Entry-level Private Detectives and Investigators (10th percentile) earn approximately $36,733 per year ($17.66/hr). The 25th percentile is $40,706 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
