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Detectives and Criminal Investigators in California
Get the information you need to know about working as a Detective or Criminal Investigator.
You’re in luck! Jobs for Detectives and Criminal Investigators in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Detectives and Criminal Investigators in California is growing slower than average.
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Detectives and Criminal Investigators in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
What Major Will Prepare You For a Detective or Criminal Investigator Career?
- Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting
- Criminal Justice & Corrections
- Criminal Justice & Police Science
- Criminalistics & Criminal Science
- Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing
- Law Enforcement Record-Keeping & Evidence Management
- Cyber/Computer Forensics & Counterterrorism
- Financial Forensics & Fraud Investigation
- Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis
- Suspension & Debarment Investigation
How Many Detectives and Criminal Investigators Work in California?
11,250 people worked as Detectives and Criminal Investigators in 2018 in this state.
There were 11,700 Detectives and Criminal Investigators employed in this state in 2017.
That’s a decline of 450 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 1,050 Detectives and Criminal Investigators working in it, which means California has more Detectives and Criminal Investigators than average.
Job Projections for California
Jobs for Detectives and Criminal Investigators in this state are growing at a rate of 4.8% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 4.5%.
California Annual Job Openings
The BLS estimates 850 annual job openings, and a total of 13,000 jobs for California Detectives and Criminal Investigators in 2026.
Nationwide, the prediction is 7,500 annual jobs and 115,900 total jobs in 2026.
What do Detectives and Criminal Investigators Make in California?
In 2018 wages for Detectives and Criminal Investigators ranged from $73,710 to $150,460 with $100,310 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $35.44 to $72.33. The median hourly rate was $48.23.
Workers in this field were paid a median of $45.94 an hour in 2017.
The hourly rate grew by $2.29.
The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top California Metros for Detectives and Criminal Investigators
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Detectives and Criminal Investigators.
| Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,730 | $124,560 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 2,900 | $94,880 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 1,000 | $91,120 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 980 | $101,630 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 710 | $122,740 |
| El Centro, CA | 620 | $83,180 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 320 | $107,090 |
| Fresno, CA | 240 | $91,110 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 130 | $94,930 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 100 | $135,760 |
| Modesto, CA | 90 | $82,720 |
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 80 | n/a |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 50 | $97,790 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 40 | $78,010 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 40 | $92,370 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 40 | $111,930 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 30 | $92,920 |
Top States for Detectives and Criminal Investigators Employment
View the list below to see where most Detectives and Criminal Investigators work.
| State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 15,930 | $82,260 |
| California | 11,250 | $100,310 |
| New York | 8,880 | $84,340 |
| Florida | 6,600 | $64,450 |
| Arizona | 5,810 | $83,730 |
| Georgia | 3,680 | $53,640 |
| New Jersey | 3,130 | $103,530 |
| District of Columbia | 3,050 | $133,330 |
| Virginia | 2,980 | $93,550 |
| Illinois | 2,940 | $84,540 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,830 | $77,340 |
| North Carolina | 2,780 | $50,920 |
| Washington | 2,350 | $84,580 |
| Michigan | 1,980 | $80,300 |
| Ohio | 1,930 | $67,970 |
| Missouri | 1,810 | $66,000 |
| Colorado | 1,780 | $83,940 |
| Louisiana | 1,770 | $51,160 |
| New Mexico | 1,610 | $83,170 |
| Minnesota | 1,490 | $72,780 |
Below are the states where Detectives and Criminal Investigators get paid the most:
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $133,330 |
| Alaska | $129,090 |
| Hawaii | $106,630 |
| Maryland | $106,000 |
| New Jersey | $103,530 |
| California | $100,310 |
| West Virginia | $97,830 |
| Massachusetts | $94,560 |
| Virginia | $93,550 |
| Oregon | $92,610 |
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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