How much does a Detective make hourly?

As of April 01, 2025, the average hourly pay of Detective in the United States is $19. While Salary.com is seeing that Detective salary in the US can go up to $36 or down to $12, but most earn between $16 and $28. Salary.com shows the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Detective in the United States.

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What is a Detective?

A Detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crime by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads them to arrest criminals and enable them to be convicted in court. A Detective may work for the police or privately....

Source: Wikipedia (as of 09/06/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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Understand the total hourly compensation opportunity for a Detective, hourly wage plus other pay elements

Average Hourly Wage

Core compensation

 
 
 
16
28
19

Average Total Hourly Cash Compensation

Includes base and short-term incentives

 
 
 
16
31
20
These charts show the average hourly wage (core compensation), as well as the average total hourly cash compensation for the job of Detective in the United States. The average hourly rate for Detective ranges from $16 to $28 with the average hourly pay of $19. The total hourly cash compensation, which includes base and short-term incentives, can vary anywhere from $16 to $31 with the average total hourly cash compensation of $20.

Discover how your pay is adjusted for skills, experience, and other factors

How much should you be paid?

For a real-time salary target, tell us more about your role in the four categories below.

16
28

 

Jobs with a similar salary range to Detective : Store Detective, Lead Ma, Electrician Mechanic