Private Investigators

Median Salary: $42,100

Many private investigators across the U.S. share a few important professional characteristics. For example, self control, independence, and analytical thinking can be essential for success in the industry, especially when mixed with career training. Around 31,250 individuals were employed as private investigators nationwide in 2009. With that much workplace competition, it's critical to utilize these attributes and receive excellent training, particularly if you're looking to advance in the field.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual income for private investigators in the U.S. was $42,100 in 2009, which works out to a median hourly wage of $20.30. Of course, income can vary with training and by place. Below, you'll find more data about private investigators, including wages and job density for metro areas all over the U.S..

Private investigators should be skilled in:

  • Oral Expression
  • Deductive Reasoning
  • Written Expression
  • Speech Recognition
  • Fluency of Ideas

Different individuals go into different careers; private investigators are typically:

  • Enterprising
  • Conventional
  • Investigative

Working as a private investigator requires knowledge in subjects like:

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Law and Government
  • Administration and Management
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Psychology

Related Occupations

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Below, you'll see links to more information on the top cities for this occupation (based on the number of individuals employed as private investigators). Note: "Job density" refers to the proportion of private investigators in each city as compared to the national average.

Alabama
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Birmingham 140 $46,900 $22.50 $56,100 $27.00 15.9%
Mobile NA $31,000 $14.90 $33,300 $16.00 NA
Alaska
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Anchorage 70 $59,100 $28.40 $67,900 $32.60 89.1%
Arizona
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Phoenix 400 $39,100 $18.80 $50,400 $24.20 -4.6%
California
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Fresno 60 $52,600 $25.30 $81,600 $39.20 -24.3%
Los Angeles (Area) NA $59,400 $28.60 $71,200 $34.20 NA
Oakland NA $76,000 $36.50 $91,500 $44.00 NA
Riverside 300 $85,600 $41.20 $110,000 $52.90 3.8%
Sacramento 310 $49,900 $24.00 $73,100 $35.20 50.2%
San Diego 300 $57,000 $27.40 $75,100 $36.10 -1.7%
San Francisco (Area) NA $74,800 $36.00 $90,700 $43.60 NA
San Francisco (City) NA $73,700 $35.40 $89,900 $43.20 NA
San Jose 150 $77,500 $37.30 $83,600 $40.20 -29.7%
Colorado
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Denver 190 $40,700 $19.60 $50,800 $24.40 -35.1%
Fort Collins NA $41,200 $19.80 $51,500 $24.80 NA
Connecticut
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Bridgeport 150 NA NA NA NA 46.4%
Hartford 70 $63,100 $30.30 $70,000 $33.70 -44.8%
Norwich 40 $46,000 $22.10 $50,100 $24.10 19.7%
District of Columbia
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Washington (Area) 1,410 $52,800 $25.40 $76,000 $36.50 46.4%
Florida
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Bradenton 80 $37,600 $18.10 $41,100 $19.80 36.8%
Deltona 40 $36,300 $17.50 $44,400 $21.40 -4.6%
Jacksonville 330 $19,700 $9.50 $26,600 $12.80 135.6%
Lakeland NA $57,000 $27.40 $63,200 $30.40 NA
Miami (Area) NA $45,800 $22.00 $56,300 $27.10 NA
Orlando 360 $36,400 $17.50 $48,000 $23.10 52.7%
Palm Bay 30 $37,800 $18.20 $58,700 $28.20 -33.5%
Port St. Lucie 40 $37,400 $18.00 $47,700 $22.90 23%
Tallahassee 70 $34,500 $16.60 $38,200 $18.40 79.1%
Tampa 560 $38,800 $18.60 $47,400 $22.80 108.4%
Georgia
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Atlanta 1,030 $37,200 $17.90 $52,900 $25.50 88.3%
Columbus 60 $49,200 $23.70 $55,700 $26.80 114.6%
Idaho
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Boise City NA $24,400 $11.70 $48,100 $23.10 NA
Illinois
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Chicago (Area) 1,360 $37,700 $18.10 $53,500 $25.70 55.2%
Springfield NA $30,800 $14.80 $33,300 $16.00 NA
Indiana
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Fort Wayne NA $57,000 $27.40 $63,000 $30.30 NA
Indianapolis 420 $44,700 $21.50 $50,200 $24.20 104.2%
Iowa
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Des Moines 30 $55,600 $26.70 $73,100 $35.10 -55.2%
Kentucky
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Louisville 60 $30,900 $14.90 $49,800 $23.90 -58.6%
Louisiana
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Houma 70 $37,700 $18.10 $43,200 $20.80 210.9%
Lafayette 70 $41,400 $19.90 $49,500 $23.80 113.8%
New Orleans NA $34,300 $16.50 $43,700 $21.00 NA
Maine
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Portland NA $33,900 $16.30 $42,100 $20.20 NA
Maryland
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Baltimore 710 $44,200 $21.30 $51,400 $24.70 136%
Massachusetts
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Boston (Area) NA $56,100 $27.00 $63,100 $30.30 NA
Michigan
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Detroit (Area) 260 $47,200 $22.70 $56,700 $27.30 -33.5%
Grand Rapids 70 $34,800 $16.70 $47,300 $22.70 -15.9%
Minnesota
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Minneapolis 1,360 $37,800 $18.20 $45,200 $21.70 228.5%
Mississippi
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Hattiesburg 70 $24,000 $11.50 $37,700 $18.10 451%
Missouri
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Kansas City NA $38,000 $18.30 $41,700 $20.10 NA
St. Louis NA $41,300 $19.90 $48,800 $23.50 NA
Nevada
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Las Vegas 120 $46,400 $22.30 $63,400 $30.50 -41%
New York
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Buffalo NA $39,700 $19.10 $42,800 $20.60 NA
New York (Area) NA $57,700 $27.70 $73,200 $35.20 NA
North Carolina
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Charlotte 170 $58,000 $27.90 $75,100 $36.10 -17.2%
Raleigh 390 $31,700 $15.20 $45,500 $21.90 224.3%
Winston-Salem 60 $32,300 $15.50 $45,400 $21.90 28.9%
North Dakota
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Fargo 50 $21,200 $10.20 $26,000 $12.50 89.5%
Ohio
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Akron NA $51,200 $24.60 $62,000 $29.80 NA
Cincinnati 490 $39,500 $19.00 $44,800 $21.50 106.3%
Cleveland 170 $44,500 $21.40 $54,300 $26.10 -30.1%
Columbus 170 $48,500 $23.30 $62,800 $30.20 -20.9%
Dayton NA $40,900 $19.70 $49,600 $23.80 NA
Toledo NA $33,100 $15.90 $53,700 $25.80 NA
Oklahoma
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Oklahoma City 160 $42,400 $20.40 $48,300 $23.20 20.1%
Tulsa NA $51,000 $24.50 $64,600 $31.00 NA
Oregon
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Portland 140 $38,100 $18.30 $49,100 $23.60 -41%
Salem NA $53,400 $25.70 $62,000 $29.80 NA
Pennsylvania
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Allentown 110 $44,100 $21.20 $64,100 $30.80 33.9%
Harrisburg 100 $51,300 $24.70 $70,100 $33.70 41%
Philadelphia (Area) 430 NA NA NA NA -31.8%
Pittsburgh 890 $31,800 $15.30 $40,600 $19.50 232.6%
Reading NA $67,800 $32.60 $77,400 $37.20 NA
Scranton 40 $47,100 $22.60 $59,700 $28.70 -37.7%
Rhode Island
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Providence 50 $42,100 $20.20 $50,900 $24.50 -62.8%
South Carolina
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Columbia 30 $30,100 $14.50 $52,700 $25.30 -58.2%
Tennessee
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Kingsport NA $44,100 $21.20 $48,800 $23.50 NA
Knoxville 300 NA NA NA NA 289.1%
Nashville NA $29,100 $14.00 $36,800 $17.70 NA
Texas
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Austin 500 $44,200 $21.30 $52,900 $25.40 170.7%
Beaumont 30 $36,600 $17.60 $45,400 $21.80 -14.6%
Corpus Christi 40 $45,800 $22.00 $53,800 $25.90 -5%
Dallas (Area) 380 $44,100 $21.20 $57,300 $27.50 -49.4%
El Paso 70 $36,200 $17.40 $45,500 $21.90 6.3%
Houston 290 $39,500 $19.00 $52,400 $25.20 -52.3%
San Antonio 260 $43,600 $21.00 $57,400 $27.60 31.8%
Virginia
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Richmond 300 $31,300 $15.00 $35,900 $17.30 112.6%
Virginia Beach 70 $42,500 $20.40 $68,100 $32.80 -61.5%
Washington
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Seattle (Area) NA $47,000 $22.60 $59,800 $28.70 NA
Wisconsin
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Green Bay NA $37,000 $17.80 $39,300 $18.90 NA
Milwaukee NA $30,400 $14.60 $37,700 $18.10 NA