▲47%
The average hourly pay for a Private Detective or Investigator is $22.76.
10%
$14.92
10%
$22.76
50%
$67.59
90%
90%
MEDIAN $22.76
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Hourly Rate
$15 - $68
Bonus
$98 - $10,365
Commission
$1,000 - $104,450
Total Pay
$31,995 - $106,396
Your Market Worth Over Time
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Job Description for Private Detective or Investigator
Private Detective or Investigator Tasks
- Conduct research on the internet and through the phone to identify people and their locations.
- Investigate potential fraud, for instance, insurance fraud.
- Analyze data and prioritize work to produce results.
- Document tactics, resulting information and information gaps.
Career Paths
Explore the most common career paths for Private Detective or Investigator. Thickness and color of lines indicates popularity of movement from one job to the next. Visit our career path planner to research other job paths.
Private Detective or Investigator
Fraud Investigator
Lead Software Engineer
Background Investigator
More common (> 20%)
Somewhat common (8 - 20%)
Less common (< 8%)
Private Detective or Investigator Job Listings
Pay by Experience Level for Private Detective or Investigator
An entry-level Private Detective or Investigator with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of $19.23 based on 28 salaries. An early career Private Detective or Investigator with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $19.99 based on 153 salaries. A mid-career Private Detective or Investigator with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $24.09 based on 71 salaries. An experienced Private Detective or Investigator with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $25.66 based on 75 salaries. In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of $30.
Pay Difference by Location
Learn more about cost of living by city.
Employees with Private Detective or Investigator in their job title in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania earn an average of 47.2% more than the national average. These job titles also find higher than average salaries in Houston, Texas (20.8% more) and New York, New York (8.6% more). The lowest salaries can be found in Baltimore, Maryland (25.0% less), Chicago, Illinois (15.4% less) and Atlanta, Georgia (12.1% less).
Years of Experience
This data is based on 413 survey responses.
Entry Level
6.8%
Early Career
37.0%
Mid Career
17.2%
Experienced
18.2%
Late Career
20.8%
