Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

33-9021 Private Detectives and Investigators

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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
35,000 8.0 % $27.40 $57,000 4.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $14.61 $17.80 $24.28 $32.67 $43.15
Annual Wage (2) $30,390 $37,030 $50,510 $67,940 $89,760


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Investigation and Security Services 14,010 1.46 $26.96 $56,070
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 And 5223 only) 1,910 0.09 $28.82 $59,950
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 1,910 0.03 $29.94 $62,270
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,830 0.07 $28.06 $58,360
Legal Services 1,500 0.13 $28.08 $58,400

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Investigation and Security Services 14,010 1.46 $26.96 $56,070
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 1,180 0.17 $33.89 $70,500
Nondepository Credit Intermediation 930 0.16 $28.29 $58,850
Legal Services 1,500 0.13 $28.08 $58,400
Other Personal Services 430 0.12 $21.28 $44,260

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 80 0.02 $43.89 $91,300
Scheduled Air Transportation 40 0.01 $39.95 $83,090
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (8) (8) $38.24 $79,530
Insurance Carriers 160 0.01 $35.87 $74,610
Telecommunications 180 0.02 $34.98 $72,760


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Florida 4,350 0.49 2.07 $20.07 $41,750
California 3,390 0.19 0.82 $32.97 $68,570
Pennsylvania 3,330 0.56 2.37 $23.05 $47,940
Texas 2,260 0.18 0.76 $27.01 $56,190
Ohio 1,510 0.28 1.16 $23.78 $49,470




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Delaware 260 0.58 2.45 $31.54 $65,610
Pennsylvania 3,330 0.56 2.37 $23.05 $47,940
Florida 4,350 0.49 2.07 $20.07 $41,750
Nebraska 320 0.33 1.37 $21.65 $45,040
Connecticut 490 0.29 1.23 $27.89 $58,010




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 150 0.21 0.87 $33.55 $69,790
California 3,390 0.19 0.82 $32.97 $68,570
Delaware 260 0.58 2.45 $31.54 $65,610
Utah 130 0.09 0.36 $30.98 $64,440
Nevada 340 0.25 1.03 $30.87 $64,200





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pittsburgh, PA 1,520 1.32 5.52 $20.09 $41,780
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,410 0.15 0.61 $26.61 $55,340
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,350 0.47 1.97 $30.00 $62,410
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,280 0.40 1.69 $25.32 $52,670
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 820 0.17 0.73 $29.34 $61,030
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 620 0.10 0.42 $38.98 $81,070
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 610 0.22 0.93 $27.53 $57,270
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 560 0.52 2.18 $20.35 $42,330
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 500 0.49 2.06 $23.70 $49,300
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 490 0.16 0.67 $25.43 $52,890




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 260 1.77 7.44 $17.93 $37,300
Pittsburgh, PA 1,520 1.32 5.52 $20.09 $41,780
Fort Collins, CO 190 1.14 4.80 $21.21 $44,110
Richmond, VA 470 0.71 2.98 $23.12 $48,090
Worcester, MA-CT 180 0.63 2.63 $30.58 $63,610
New Haven, CT 150 0.52 2.20 $21.20 $44,090
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 560 0.52 2.18 $20.35 $42,330
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 110 0.50 2.09 $22.60 $47,000
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 500 0.49 2.06 $23.70 $49,300
Salem, OR 80 0.48 2.03 $32.04 $66,630




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Raleigh, NC 40 0.06 0.24 $41.10 $85,480
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 620 0.10 0.42 $38.98 $81,070
Fresno, CA 60 0.16 0.66 $37.79 $78,590
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 320 0.13 0.55 $37.57 $78,150
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT (8) (8) (8) $35.30 $73,420
Rochester, NY 60 0.12 0.50 $34.44 $71,630
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA (8) (8) (8) $34.41 $71,580
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD (8) (8) (8) $32.81 $68,250
Salem, OR 80 0.48 2.03 $32.04 $66,630
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (8) (8) (8) $31.72 $65,990

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Georgia nonmetropolitan area 60 0.32 1.35 $18.85 $39,200
Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 40 0.56 2.34 $18.45 $38,370
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 40 0.52 2.18 $21.47 $44,660
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 30 0.31 1.30 (8) (8)

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 40 0.56 2.34 $18.45 $38,370
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 40 0.52 2.18 $21.47 $44,660
South Georgia nonmetropolitan area 60 0.32 1.35 $18.85 $39,200
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 30 0.31 1.30 (8) (8)

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $26.55 $55,210
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $25.99 $54,070
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) (8) (8) (8) $22.55 $46,900
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 40 0.52 2.18 $21.47 $44,660
South Georgia nonmetropolitan area 60 0.32 1.35 $18.85 $39,200


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020