Money · 1 of 5
What criminal investigators make
Median
$93,790
Bottom tenth
$55,390
Top tenth
$160,540
The national median is $93,790 a year, the bottom tenth earn $55,390 or less and the top tenth $160,540 or more, in the 2025 federal wage survey. The survey counts every detective and criminal investigator together, from small town detectives to federal agents, so it is a guide, not a promise.