Here’s How Much Money Private Investigators Make In Every State

The life and work of a private investigator has been immortalized in countless films, books, plays and stories of all types. From Sherlock Holmes to Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe to more contemporary detectives, the allure of the private investigator has been present with us for a long time now. But what is it like to actually work as a private investigator in reality this day and age? Indeed, what is the pay like for being a private investigator? Are there benefits, or is it solely independent contract work?

Using occupational data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we've analyzed and compiled a round-up of the average private investigator and detective salary by state in the U.S. Read on for a full breakdown of where private investigators make the most money, and where they're making the least.

10 States Where Private Investigators Earn the Most Money

The national average annual wage of an Private investigator is $57,100, according to the BLS, a little under $6,000 more than the average wage for all occupations, $51,960. Like all occupations, the average salary of a private investigator is influenced by a state’s cost of living, with salaries typically being higher in states with higher cost of living. However, this correlation only holds partially for private investigator salaries, with some of the top-paying states being appearing rather random by a cost of living interpretation.

Below is a list of the top-10 highest-paying states for private investigators:

1. California average private investigator salary: $68,570
2. Delaware average private investigator salary: $65,610
3. Utah average private investigator salary: $64,440
4. Nevada average private investigator salary: $64,200
5. New Jersey average private investigator salary: $63,970
6. Washington average private investigator salary: $63,750
7. Maryland average private investigator salary: $61,730
8. Missouri average private investigator salary: $60,890
9. Idaho average private investigator salary: $60,130
10. New York average private investigator salary: $59,100

The best-paying state for private investigators and private detectives is California, a state with a notably high cost of living compared to the U.S. overall. However, other top-ranking states like Utah, Missouri and Idaho in particular, have notably lower cost of living than the nation overall, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center’s cost of living index.

10 States Where Private Investigators Earn the Least Money

The bottom-10 states where private investigators make the least money are largely located in the U.S. Midwest, with six states; the South, with three states; and the Northeast, with one state, Pennsylvania. Here's a look at the bottom-10 states for private investigator salaries:

1. Florida average private investigator salary: $41,750
2. Indiana average private investigator salary: $42,430
3. Oklahoma average private investigator salary: $44,180
4. Wisconsin average private investigator salary: $44,480
5. Nebraska average private investigator salary: $45,040
6. South Dakota average private investigator salary: $46,200
7. Pennsylvania average private investigator salary: $47,940
8. Michigan average private investigator salary: $48,040
9. Louisiana average private investigator salary: $49,270
10. Ohio average private investigator salary: $49,470

The state with the greatest number of private investigators and detectives, according to the BLS, is Florida, with 4,350 employed in this field. This is precisely the state where private investigators earn the least, with a mean annual wage of only $41,750, although the state’s no income tax helps here. Pennsylvania is the third-largest state in terms of private investigators, with 3,330 people employed in this occupation. Ohio, with 1,150 private investigators and detectives, ranks fifth out of all states in its total amount of these workers.

How Much Do Private Investigators Make in Each State

Below you’ll find the average annual wage for private investigators in all states that had available data from 2014 to 2019. You’ll find each state’s overall rank out of 42, since many states didn’t have wage data available for 2019. You can also rank by the five-year change in average private investigator wages from 2014 to 2019.

When looking at states by five-year growth in wages, Mississippi ranks No. 1, with private investigators going from an average salary of $29,940 in 2014 to $54,350 in 2019, an increase of 81.5%. New Mexico saw comparable growth in private investigator salaries, rising 62.3% over five years, from $35,240 in 2014 to $57,200 in 2019.