The private investigator salary in the US is around $50,301 per year and $21.83 per hour. While in Canada the median wage for the same job stands at C$42,500 ($33,898) per year, with more in the UK, around £36,000 ($47,290) yearly. Approximately the same in New Zealand, at NZ$60,000 ($42,453) per year, and more in Australia, with AU$67,500 ($52,340) per year. While in India the median pay for the same job stays at Rs 350,000 ($5,351) per year, and R211,695($15,343) in South Africa.
In this article, we will explain how this salary varies in each state, the schedule of private detectives, and their career prospects. Also, we will take a look below at the main factors influencing the annual pay of private investigators.
How Much Does a Private Investigator Make per Year by State?
| Private Investigator Salary | US | Canada | UK | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa |
| Hourly Pay | $21.83 | C$20.45 ($16.31) | £17.30* ($22.73) | AU$32.45*($25.16) | NZ$28.84* ($20.41) | Rs 168.269* ($2.57) | R101.77* ($7.38) |
| Annual Pay | $50,301 | C$42,500 ($33,898) | £36,000 ($47,290) | AU$67,500 ($52,340) | NZ$60,000* ($42,453) | Rs 350,000* ($5,351) | R211,695 ($15,343) |
A (*) indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual salary.
Private Investigator Salary Influencing Factors
The annual wages of private investigators vary depending on the industry, experience, and location. Out of all these three factors, the industry counts the most because a private detective can receive higher incomes based on the sector’s size. We have here information gathered from reliable sources, such as Payscale, and Salary Expert.
1. Location
On this scale, private detectives have the highest salaries in Atlanta, Chicago, and New York where the median annual pay is between $42,000 and $67,000.
Furthermore, the average private investigator salary in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego and Houston is also quite generous as it ranges between $61,000 and $80,000 per year.
The lowest salaries are in San Antonio, Phoenix, and Tampa because in these locations private investigators make between $39,000 and $43,000 per year.
How Much Does a Private Detective Professional Make in the US?
| Private Detective Salary USA | Per Year | Per Hour |
| Minimum | $35,714 | $14.86 |
| Maximum | $86,162 | $71.87 |
| Bonus/Tip | $10,000 | $4.80* |
| Overtime | No additional pay | No additional pay |
| Total Pay | $31,988 to $107,581 |
A (*) indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.
Below, we have prepared a table highlighting the annual private investigator salary across the United States:
| Arizona | $38,000 |
| Arkansas | $47,000 |
| California | $49,000 |
| Colorado | $41,000 |
| Connecticut | $53,000 |
| Delaware | $40,000 |
| District of Columbia | $58,000 |
| Florida | $43,000 |
| Georgia | $52,000 |
| Hawaii | $28,000 |
| Idaho | $30,000 |
| Illinois | $52,000 |
| Indiana | $44,000 |
| Iowa | $45,000 |
| Kansas | $42,000 |
| Kentucky | $40,000 |
| Louisiana | $41,000 |
| Maine | $41,000 |
| Maryland | $47,000 |
| Massachusetts | $55,000 |
| Michigan | $46,000 |
| Minnesota | $40,000 |
| Mississippi | $48,000 |
| Missouri | $45,000 |
| Montana | $38,000 |
| Nebraska | $33,000 |
| Nevada | $35,000 |
| New Hampshire | $45,000 |
| New Jersey | $50,000 |
| New Mexico | $40,000 |
| New York | $55,000 |
| North Carolina | $44,000 |
| North Dakota | $41,000 |
| Ohio | $44,000 |
| Oklahoma | $42,000 |
| Oregon | $44,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,000 |
| Puerto Rico | $44,000 |
| Rhode Island | $42,000 |
| South Carolina | $45,000 |
| South Dakota | $35,000 |
| Tennessee | $43,000 |
| Texas | $44,000 |
| Utah | $36,000 |
| Vermont | $40,000 |
| Virginia | $46,000 |
| Washington | $47,000 |
| West Virginia | $43,000 |
| Wisconsin | $41,000 |
| Wyoming | $38,000 |
| US Median Wage | $50,301 |
| Hourly Wage | $21,83 |
How Much Does a Private Detective Professional Make in Canada?
| Private Detective Salary Canada | Per Year | Per Hour |
| Minimum | C$30,056 | C$14.45* |
| Maximum | C$102,953 | C$30.22* |
| Bonus/Tip | C$40,089 | C$19.27* |
| Overtime | No additional pay | No additional pay |
| Total Pay | C$38,783 to C$137,117 |
A (*) indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.
How Much Does a Private Detective Professional Make in the UK?
| Private Detective Salary UK | Per Year | Per Hour |
| Minimum | £16,726 | £8.04* |
| Maximum | £169,352 | £81.41* |
| Bonus/Tip | No additional pay | No additional pay |
| Overtime | No additional pay | No additional pay |
| Total Pay | £16,726 to £169,352 |
A (*) also indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.
How Much Does a Private Detective Professional Make in Australia?
| Private Detective Salary Australia | Per Year | Per Hour |
| Minimum | AU$67,500 | AU$32.45 |
| Maximum | AU$82,500 | AU$39.66 |
| Bonus/Tip | No additional pay | No additional pay |
| Overtime | No additional pay | No additional pay |
| Total Pay | AU$67,500 to AU$82,500 |
A (*) indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from salaries available, respectively from the annual pay.
How Much Does a Private Detective Professional Make in New Zealand?
| Private Detective Salary New Zealand | Per Year | Per Hour |
| Minimum | NZ$53,000 | NZ$25,48* |
| Maximum | NZ$64,000 | NZ$30,76* |
| Bonus/Tip | No additional pay | No additional pay |
| Overtime | No additional pay | No additional pay |
| Total Pay | NZ$53,000 to NZ$64,000 |
A (*) also indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from salaries or from the annual pay.
How Much Does a Private Detective Professional Make in India?
| Private Detective Salary India | Per Year | Per Hour |
| Minimum | Rs 328,000 | Rs 157.692* |
| Maximum | Rs 395,000 | Rs 189.903* |
| Bonus/Tip | No additional pay | No additional pay |
| Overtime | No additional pay | No additional pay |
| Total Pay | Rs 328,000 to Rs 395,000 |
A (*) indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.
How Much Does a Private Detective Professional Make in South Africa?
| Private Detective Salary South Africa | Per Year | Per Hour |
| Minimum | R95,356 | R45.84* |
| Maximum | R587,254 | R282.333* |
| Bonus/Tip | R41,500 | R19.95* |
| Overtime | No additional pay | No additional pay |
| Total Pay | R94,295 to R620,897 |
Finally, the (*) indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.
2. Experience
Based on experience, the entry-level private investigator salary in the US is around $43,000 per year. More experienced private detectives with 5 to 10 years of experience earn an annual median pay of $51,000. Furthermore, those who have an experience between 10 and 20 years make around $59,000 per year. Last but not least, private investigators with over 20 years on the job have an annual wage of $73,000.
In Canada, beginners win around C$41,000 per year, while mid-career employees make about C$48,000 yearly. The salary rises for experienced 10-20 years private investigators to C$52,000, then the salary declines as people with this job advance more in their career. Therefore people in their late 20 years or more careers win about C$49,000 per year.
3. Industry
There are many sectors in which private detectives and investigators operate and based on Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys, we are going to present how the annual salary varies among these industries:
- Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution – $80,480
- Grocery Stores – $73,640
- Scientific Research and Development Services – $72,520
- Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage – $69,420
- Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services – $64,690
- Local Government (OES Designation) – $60,100
- Legal Services – $54,370
- Investigation and Security Services – $53,480
- Management of Companies and Enterprises – $52,310
- Facilities Support Services – $51,060
- State Government (OES Designation) – $46,540
- Business Support Services – $38,840
Schedule & Working Hours
Depending on each case, private detectives work behind a desk and in the field. Usually, most private detectives have irregular working schedules spending a lot of time in the field. More precisely, this time is invested in setting up their surveillance and interview equipment.
The time they spend in an office varies depending on what type of research they need to make. For instance, they can work on finding a person that is missing, investigate a fraud, and do background checks on other people.
Bonuses & Benefits
The table below shows percents of the healthcare benefits by country. A (–) indicates that there is no health care information available.
| Country | United States | Canada | United Kingdom | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa |
| Medical | 45 | 30 | 29 | — | — | — | 53 |
| Dental | 34 | 30 | 29 | — | — | — | 33 |
| Vision | 29 | 27 | 29 | — | — | — | 27 |
| None | 52 | 13 | 71 | — | — | — | 47 |
Career Prospects
Based on BLS statistics, the employment rate of private detectives and investigators is expected to increase by 5 percent until 2024.
In addition, detective agencies will have many empty positions available for private investigators. Nowadays, there is a higher demand of private detectives because technological development has opened new doors for credit card fraud, identity theft, and many other Internet and financial scams.
Conclusion
To sum up, the private investigator salary is quite rewarding if you work in a well-paid industry. Plus, job satisfaction will be higher along with experience while career prospects are also encouraging. Finally, depending on experience, abilities, and studies, a private investigator can also aim to become a CIA agent, check out the salary for this job!
