So you want to be a police detective, huh? Most cops get their start by patrolling the streets. It’s repetitive and boring at times. The best part is that you’ll develop a great outlook on life. There are aspects of police work that are dangerous: stakeouts, suspect apprehension, responding to active crime scenes (shootings, stabbings, etc.). But these instances don’t come around too often. What they do come around is the chance to solve a crime and catch the bad guys.
The salary for a Police Detective varies based on their level of experience and the region they work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a Police Detective earned an average wage of $64,090 per year in 2011.
What is the average salary for a police detective, and what skills do police detectives need? What resources that could potentially help you become a police detective in your area? You may be eligible for additional perks, including:
Salary For Police Detective Overview
Police detectives are people who determine whether a crime has been committed and, if it has been, gather evidence to arrest and convict the suspects. They work for police departments or for independent agencies tasked with locating and apprehending criminals. Their main responsibilities include searching crime scenes for clues, analyzing fingerprints, conducting interviews with victims and witnesses, collecting biological samples for lab analysis, and interviewing suspects in order to get confessions or incriminating statements
What is the NYPD Detective Salary?
Being a police detective can be a rewarding career choice, but it is not one that is for everyone. If you are considering becoming an NYPD detective, then you should know about the salary for this position. The first thing that you should know is that there are different types of detectives. A plainclothes detective will earn between $46,000 and $78,000 per year while uniformed detectives earn between $56,250 and $80,000 per year. The annual salary for a police officer who works in homicide division or narcotics division ranges between $50,000 and $60,000 annually.
What Is the Average Salary of a Police Detective?
Law enforcement salaries differ depending on the agency and area you work in. Keep reading for more information on the salaries of police detectives and about the job duties you’d have in this profession.View Schools
Job Description
As a police detective, you’ll have completed a police training program and have built several years of experience in law enforcement. You might also pursue postsecondary education in criminal justice. With this background, you’ll be prepared to investigate crimes by gathering evidence and witness statements. In addition to these duties, you have to be prepared to make arrests and follow through with convictions to ensure a criminal receives the correct punishment. Normally, you’ll specialize in a type of criminal activity, like fraud, drug trafficking, cyber crimes or homicide.
Important Facts About Police Detectives
| Prerequisites | High school diploma, or equivalent |
| Key Skills | Excellent oral and written communication, active listener, empathy, leadership, good judgment, insightfulness, physical endurance and strength |
| Work Environment | Office, outdoors |
| Similar Occupations | Correctional officer, EMT, paramedic, firefighter, private detective, investigator, probation officer, security guard |
Salary Information
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) noted in May 2020 that detectives and criminal investigators had a median annual income of $86,940 (www.bls.gov). In comparison, PayScale.com reported in April 2021 that police detectives had a median salary of $63,017. The BLS also had wage estimates for detectives and criminal investigators at the bottom ten percent and the top ten percent. If you were in the lowest ten percent, then you only earned $46,020 or less. Those in the highest ten percent of wage estimates had annual incomes of $146,000 or more.
Salary by Industry
In May 2020, the BLS reported that the top industries for employment of detectives and criminal investigators were local, federal and state governments. Workers in these industries earned average salaries of $77,120, $111,880 and $70,070, respectively. Additionally, these governments paid some of the highest average wages for these professionals. Other industries with high average wages included the postal service ($104,300) and psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals ($81,770).
Salary by Location
According to the BLS, the states with the top average pay for detectives and criminal investigators in May 2020 included Alaska ($126,340), Maryland ($113,500), Hawaii ($113,150), California ($111,480) and New Jersey ($106,120). Texas had one of the highest employment levels for these workers. Average wages for other states with high employment levels included $81,920 for Texas, $97,000 for New York, $80,360 for Florida and $85,790 for Arizona.
Salary by Experience
March 2021 data from PayScale.com indicated that police detectives with 0-5 years of experience made a median income of $56,302. Salaries grew to $48,000-$91,000 with 5-10 years of experience, $62,091 with 10-20 years of experience and $82,283 with 20 years of experience or more.
Job Outlook
The BLS projects that there will be a 1% employment growth for detectives and criminal investigators from 2019-2029. Budgets will affect growth in each location. The BLS also reports that having training and experience can improve your job prospects.
How Much Do Detectives Make?
Detectives with 10 years experience at their current precinct may be eligible to earn up to $78,200 per year as an NYPD detective salary before taxes or deductions have been taken out. Detectives who have their bachelor’s degree in criminal justice may be eligible for additional pay above their base pay rate which could increase their annual income even further than what has already been stated above depending on where they work within New York City’s police department structure which consists of many different divisions including those mentioned earlier in this article such as homicide division (Homicide Bureau) or narcotics division (Narc
10 States Where Detectives and Criminal Investigators Earn the Most Money
The national average annual wage of an detectives and criminal investigators is $86,030, according to the BLS, over $30,000 more than the average wage for all occupations, $51,960. The No. 1 employer of detectives and criminal investigators are local governments, excluding schools and hospitals, accounting for 42,860 jobs out of a national total of 105,620. The top-paying employer, however, is the federal executive branch of the U.S. government, in which the average mean wage for detectives and criminal investigators is $107,150.
Below is a list of the top-10 highest-paying states for detectives and criminal investigators:
- Alaska average detective salary: $113,420
- Hawaii average detective salary: $109,320
- California average detective salary: $107,760
- New Jersey average detective salary: $103,460
- Massachusetts average detective salary: $102,350
- Maryland average detective salary: $102,170
- Virginia average detective salary: $98,960
- Washington average detective salary: $97,770
- Oregon average detective salary: $94,590
- Delaware average detective salary: $92,790
PROMOTED
10 States Where Detectives and Criminal Investigators Earn the Least Money
The bottom-10 states where detectives and criminal investigators make the least money heavily located in the U.S. South, with two states from the Midwest. That said, the average detective salary in the lowest-paying state, South Carolina, is still slightly above the average mean wage for all occupations. Take a look at the worst-paying states for detectives.
- South Carolina average detective salary: $59,410
- North Carolina average detective salary: $61,880
- Arkansas average detective salary: $60,340
- Kansas average detective salary: $62,260
- Louisiana average detective salary: $63,980
- Mississippi average detective salary: $64,100
- Alabama average detective salary: $65,830
- Oklahoma average detective salary: $65,930
- Georgia average detective salary: $67,820
- Indiana average detective salary: $69,960
What Police and Detectives Do[About this section] [To Top]
Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.
Duties of Police and Detectives
Police officers, detectives, and criminal investigators typically do the following:
- Respond to emergency and nonemergency calls
- Patrol assigned areas
- Conduct traffic stops and issue citations
- Search for vehicle records and warrants using computers in the field
- Obtain warrants and arrest suspects
- Collect and secure evidence from crime scenes
- Observe the activities of suspects
- Write detailed reports and fill out forms
- Prepare cases and testify in court
Job duties differ by employer and function, but all police and detectives write reports and keep detailed records that will be needed if they testify in court. Most carry law enforcement tools, such as radios, handcuffs, and guns.
The following are examples of types of police and detectives:
Detectives and criminal investigators are uniformed or plainclothes investigators who gather facts and collect evidence for criminal cases. They conduct interviews, examine records, observe the activities of suspects, and participate in raids and arrests. Detectives usually specialize in investigating one type of crime, such as homicide or fraud. Detectives are typically assigned cases on a rotating basis and work on them until an arrest and trial are completed or until the case is dropped.
Fish and game wardens enforce fishing, hunting, and boating laws. They patrol fishing and hunting areas, conduct search and rescue operations, investigate complaints and accidents, and educate the public about laws pertaining to the outdoors. Federal fish and game wardens are often referred to as Federal Wildlife Officers.
Police and sheriff’s patrol officers are the most common type of police and detectives, and have general law enforcement duties. They wear uniforms that allow the public to easily recognize them as police officers. They have regular patrols and also respond to emergency and nonemergency calls. During patrols, officers look for signs of criminal activity and may conduct searches and arrest suspected criminals.
Some police officers work only on a specific type of crime, such as narcotics. Officers, especially those working in large departments, may work in special units, such as horseback, motorcycle, canine corps, and special weapons and tactics (SWAT). Typically, officers must work as patrol officers for a certain number of years before they may be appointed to a special unit.
Transit and railroad police patrol railroad yards and transit stations. They protect property, employees, and passengers from crimes such as thefts and robberies. They remove trespassers from railroad and transit properties and check IDs of people who try to enter secure areas.
