The average salary for a detective in Pennsylvania is around $97,580 per year.
Avg Salary
Detectives earn an average yearly salary of $97,580.
Wages typically start from $63,770 and go up to $154,360.
44% above national average Updated in 2025
Detective earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level detective earnings begin at:
$74.21 per hour
$154,360 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level detective earnings begin at:
$56.23 per hour
$116,960 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level detective earnings begin at:
$46.91 per hour
$97,580 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level detective earnings begin at:
$38.07 per hour
$79,190 per year
10th percentile
Starting level detective earnings begin at:
$30.66 per hour
$63,770 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Detective salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $97,580 |
| Connecticut | $95,240 |
| Nevada | $94,470 |
| Montana | $92,410 |
| West Virginia | $92,410 |
| Illinois | $91,190 |
| Wisconsin | $91,040 |
| Michigan | $90,650 |
| Texas | $90,510 |
| New Hampshire | $89,290 |
| Puerto Rico | $88,880 |
| Rhode Island | $88,450 |
| Maine | $88,310 |
| New Mexico | $86,840 |
| North Dakota | $82,290 |
| Wyoming | $81,880 |
| Oklahoma | $80,430 |
| Minnesota | $80,000 |
| Iowa | $79,560 |
| Ohio | $79,300 |
| Utah | $78,920 |
| South Dakota | $77,730 |
| Tennessee | $77,090 |
| Florida | $77,060 |
| Kansas | $75,740 |
| Missouri | $75,650 |
| Idaho | $72,520 |
| Kentucky | $71,670 |
| Indiana | $70,340 |
| Alabama | $66,290 |
| Georgia | $65,430 |
| North Carolina | $63,280 |
| South Carolina | $62,760 |
| Louisiana | $60,450 |
| Mississippi | $58,640 |
| Arkansas | $54,500 |
| District of Columbia | $160,760 |
| Maryland | $126,730 |
| California | $124,840 |
| Delaware | $122,050 |
| New Jersey | $116,300 |
| Washington | $115,790 |
| Alaska | $114,940 |
| Hawaii | $113,940 |
| Virginia | $112,760 |
| Massachusetts | $110,150 |
| Oregon | $107,450 |
| Vermont | $106,330 |
| Colorado | $105,480 |
| Arizona | $102,340 |
| New York | $101,240 |
| Nebraska | $100,530 |
How do detective salaries compare to similar careers?
Detectives earn about the same as related careers in Pennsylvania. On average, they make less than compliance managers but more than police officers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Compliance manager salary | $132K |
| Judge salary | $111K |
| Hearing officer salary | $98K |
| Special agent salary | $98K |
| Customs inspector salary | $98K |
| Detective salary | $98K |
| Coroner salary | $86K |
| Police officer salary | $85K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)