Private Detectives and Investigators
Private Detectives and Investigators is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 22.6% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Private Detectives and Investigators workforce.
Employment Over Time
5,260 Workforce in 2023
The Private Detectives and Investigators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$69,049 Average Wage
In 2023, Private Detectives and Investigators earned an average of $69,049.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Salary distribution for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Employment Growth Projections
1.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
21,662 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 9.1%
23,628 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 19.0%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.8% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Private Detectives and Investigators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Private Detectives and Investigators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Wage Trends by Industry
57.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 4,550 employees, $67,847 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,410 employees, $68,501 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 500 employees, $62,714 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 410 employees, $60,091 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 380 employees, $78,294 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 370 employees, $64,132 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 340 employees, $66,190 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 280 employees, $80,841 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 240 employees, $83,826 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 110 employees, $62,755 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 100 employees, $60,575 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Private Detectives and Investigators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Private Detectives and Investigators in 2023 was 5,260 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Private Detectives and Investigators in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Private Detectives and Investigators workers.
Education level distribution for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Skills
Private Detectives and Investigators need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving.
Required skills for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Private Detectives and Investigators include English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Law and Government, Computers and Electronics, Administrative.
Knowledge areas required for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Private Detectives and Investigators include Inductive Reasoning, Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Private Detectives and Investigators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Private Detectives and Investigators.
Daily Activities
Private Detectives and Investigators spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Documenting/Recording Information, Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Private Detectives and Investigators.
About
Private Detectives and Investigators
The average yearly wage for Private Detectives and Investigators was $69,049 in 2023.
SOC Code
33-9021 - Private Detectives and Investigators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Private Detectives and Investigators reports an average salary of $69,049.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 5,260 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.