How much does a Private Investigator make?

Updated Nov 20, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$51K - $93K/yr
Base Pay
$47K - $86K/yr
Additional Pay
$4K - $7K/yr

$68K

/yr
$51K$93K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Private Investigator is $67,544 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $62,725 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $4,819 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $51K-$93K/yr?

Total Pay Trajectory

For Investigator

$88,050 /yr
Investigator
$140,517 /yr
Senior Investigator
$83,145 /yr
Investigator IV
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Investigator?

Job TitleSalary
Investigator$88,050 /yr
Senior Investigator$140,517 /yr
Investigator IV$83,145 /yr

Top Paying Companies

For a Private Investigator in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Private Investigator in United States. Employers include ISG (MA), Command Investigations and CoventBridge Group.

1
ISG (MA)
ISG (MA)
$68,563/yr
47 open jobs
6
$57,374/yr
9
G4S
$55,688/yr
See pay for all companies for a Private Investigator in United StatesView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Private Investigator in United States

1ISG (MA)$68,563
2Command Investigations$60,888
3CoventBridge Group$59,546
4Veracity Research Company$59,062
5DigiStream$58,836
6SelfEmployed.com$57,374
7Ethos Risk Services$57,062
8Litigation Solutions$56,763
9G4S$55,688
10Hub Enterprises$55,318
Total Pay Trajectory

For Investigator

$88,050 /yr
Investigator
$140,517 /yr
Senior Investigator
$83,145 /yr
Investigator IV
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Investigator?

Job TitleSalary
Investigator$88,050 /yr
Senior Investigator$140,517 /yr
Investigator IV$83,145 /yr

What are total pay estimates for a Private Investigator at different companies?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
PhotoFax
4.1
Private InvestigatorSee 43 salaries from all locations

$24

 / hr
CoventBridge Group
3.1
Private InvestigatorSee 20 salaries from all locations

$28

 / hr
Hub Enterprises
3.1
Private InvestigatorSee 19 salaries from all locations

$26

 / hr
Advantage Surveillance
2.7
Private InvestigatorSee 15 salaries from all locations

$24

 / hr
Allied Universal Compliance and Investigations
3
Private InvestigatorSee 13 salaries from all locations

$26

 / hr
Veracity Research Company
2.9
Private InvestigatorSee 12 salaries from all locations

$28

 / hr
Allied Universal
3.1
Private InvestigatorSee 11 salaries from all locations

$23

 / hr

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DigiStream
3.6
Private InvestigatorSee 10 salaries from all locations

$58,836

 / yr
SelfEmployed.com
4.4
Private InvestigatorSee 8 salaries from all locations

$57,374

 / yr
Litigation Solutions
2.9
Private InvestigatorSee 6 salaries from all locations

$27

 / hr
Ethos Risk Services
4
Private InvestigatorSee 6 salaries from all locations

$27

 / hr
Delta Group (GA)
4.1
Private InvestigatorSee 6 salaries from all locations

$25

 / hr
Command Investigations
3.7
Private InvestigatorSee 6 salaries from all locations

$60,888

 / yr
ISG (MA)
3.3
Private InvestigatorSee 5 salaries from all locations

$33

 / hr
G4S
3.5
Private InvestigatorSee 5 salaries from all locations

$27

 / hr
Private
4.1
Private InvestigatorSee 4 salaries from all locations

$55,278

 / yr
Sherlock Investigations
3.6
Private InvestigatorSee 4 salaries from all locations

$29

 / hr
Self Opportunity
4.3
Private InvestigatorSee 4 salaries from all locations

$76,248

 / yr
Claims Bureau USA
3.3
Private InvestigatorSee 4 salaries from all locations

$28

 / hr
Horsemen Investigations
3.9
Private InvestigatorSee 4 salaries from all locations

$26

 / hr
Download as data table

Private Investigator Salaries

Job TitleSalary
PhotoFax Private Investigator salaries - 43 salaries reported$24/hr
CoventBridge Group Private Investigator salaries - 20 salaries reported$28/hr
Hub Enterprises Private Investigator salaries - 19 salaries reported$26/hr
Advantage Surveillance Private Investigator salaries - 15 salaries reported$24/hr
Allied Universal Compliance and Investigations Private Investigator salaries - 13 salaries reported$26/hr
Veracity Research Company Private Investigator salaries - 12 salaries reported$28/hr
Allied Universal Private Investigator salaries - 11 salaries reported$23/hr
DigiStream Private Investigator salaries - 10 salaries reported$58,836/yr
SelfEmployed.com Private Investigator salaries - 8 salaries reported$57,374/yr
Litigation Solutions Private Investigator salaries - 6 salaries reported$27/hr
Ethos Risk Services Private Investigator salaries - 6 salaries reported$27/hr
Delta Group (GA) Private Investigator salaries - 6 salaries reported$25/hr
Command Investigations Private Investigator salaries - 6 salaries reported$60,888/yr
ISG (MA) Private Investigator salaries - 5 salaries reported$33/hr
G4S Private Investigator salaries - 5 salaries reported$27/hr
Private Private Investigator salaries - 4 salaries reported$55,278/yr
Sherlock Investigations Private Investigator salaries - 4 salaries reported$29/hr
Self Opportunity Private Investigator salaries - 4 salaries reported$76,248/yr
Claims Bureau USA Private Investigator salaries - 4 salaries reported$28/hr
Horsemen Investigations Private Investigator salaries - 4 salaries reported$26/hr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 220

Top Paying Industries

For a Private Investigator in United States

The top 4 paying industries for a Private Investigator in United States are Insurance with a median total pay of $68,563, Management & Consulting with a median total pay of $57,062, Legal with a median total pay of $56,763 and Media & Communication with a median total pay of $52,670.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • InsuranceInsurance$68,563

    17% Higher than other industries

  • Management & ConsultingManagement & Consulting$57,062

    0% Lower than other industries

  • LegalLegal$56,763

    0% Lower than other industries

  • Media & CommunicationMedia & Communication$52,670

    8% Lower than other industries

Insurance

The top paying company in Insurance for Private Investigator is ISG (MA).

ISG (MA)ISG (MA)$68,563/yr

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

What is the pay outlook for Research & Science?

Research and science jobs offer pay well above the national average. Increased demand for STEM workers is increasing salaries in research and science. Jobs in these fields, however, often require higher education at the graduate level and/or specialized training. While domain-specific expertise gives workers in these fields access to very specialized jobs, there are also many employers who hire STEM workers for their general data and technology skills.

Recent Salaries Shared

For private investigator

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Investigator

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$150,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Child Protective Investigator

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$50,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Background Check Specialist

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$20

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Investigator

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$75,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Investigator

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$60,000

/yr

$59K | $1K

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Payment Investigation Specialist

United States of America

 | <1 year

$57,500

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

<1 year
Yesterday
Investigator

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$70,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Background Investigator

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$35

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Victim Advocate

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$42,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday

Private Investigator pay FAQ

The average salary for a Private Investigator is $67,544 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 419 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Private Investigator employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Private Investigator in United States is $92,856 per year.

The lowest salary for a Private Investigator in United States is $50,658 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Private Investigator or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Private Investigator.

Private detectives may work irregular hours including early mornings, late nights, weekends or holidays. A minimum of a high school diploma is required, although a two-year degree or a four-year degree in a field related to criminal justice may be required. They earn similar pay whether they work for the insurance industry, the government, or a private guard service. They are paid similarly to claims adjusters and claims investigators, forensic science technicians, fire inspectors, and security guards.

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