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Detectives and Criminal Investigators in New York

Thinking about a career as a Detectives and Criminal Investigators in New York? Here’s what the data says. Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes. Excludes “Private Detectives and Investigators” (33-9021).

$103,340 Median Annual Wage (New York)

$64,492 National Median Annual Wage

9,410 New York Employment

Medium Preparation Needed Typical Preparation

What do Detectives and Criminal Investigators Make in New York?

The detectives and criminal investigators working in New York, the median annual wage is $103,340 per year (or about $49.68/hour).Annual wages span from $61,450 at the 10th percentile to $168,770 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$61,450	$29.54
25th percentile	$77,350	$37.19
Median (50th)	$103,340	$49.68
75th percentile	$124,860	$60.03
90th percentile	$168,770	$81.14

Salary ranges for Detectives and Criminal Investigators in New York

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in New York nationwide is 1.37, suggesting that detectives and criminal investigators are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, detectives and criminal investigators earn a median of $64,492 per year ($31.01/hour), above the New York median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 410,420 detectives and criminal investigators nationwide. In New York alone, around 9,410 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 1,240 detectives and criminal investigators.

Forecasted number of jobs for Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Top New York Metros for Detectives and Criminal Investigators

These are the New York metros with the most detectives and criminal investigators in New York.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	7,460	$106,540
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	880	$106,110
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	830	$96,040
Rochester, NY	460	$107,810
Syracuse, NY	300	$95,550
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY	270	$111,860
Utica-Rome, NY	130	$96,480
Binghamton, NY	90	$83,270
Kingston, NY	80	$86,600
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY	70	$104,330
Glens Falls, NY	40	$79,680

Top States for Detectives and Criminal Investigators Employment

The table below shows the states where the most detectives and criminal investigators work.

State	Number Employed
Texas	18,020
California	11,900
New York	9,410
Florida	6,310
Arizona	5,220
Georgia	4,820
Pennsylvania	3,390
North Carolina	3,240
Virginia	3,170
Illinois	3,100
New Jersey	3,000
Ohio	2,120
Michigan	2,050
Colorado	2,030
New Mexico	2,000
Tennessee	1,960
Louisiana	1,870
Minnesota	1,770
Washington	1,680
Wisconsin	1,480

Highest-Paying States for Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Where detectives and criminal investigators earn the most: detectives and criminal investigators.

State	Annual Median Salary
Maryland	$125,630
California	$122,140
Alaska	$121,140
Washington	$116,450
New Jersey	$113,830
Hawaii	$112,100
Massachusetts	$111,460
Virginia	$110,220
Oregon	$107,450
Vermont	$104,330

Skills

The most important detectives and criminal investigators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Active Listening 4.4 / 5

Speaking 4.2 / 5

Critical Thinking 4.1 / 5

Reading Comprehension 3.9 / 5

Social Perceptiveness 3.9 / 5

Complex Problem Solving 3.9 / 5

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Law and Government 4.8 / 5

Public Safety and Security 4.6 / 5

English Language 4.2 / 5

Customer and Personal Service 4.0 / 5

Psychology 3.9 / 5

Computers and Electronics 3.6 / 5

Abilities

Key abilities for detectives and criminal investigators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Inductive Reasoning 4.4 / 5

Oral Comprehension 4.4 / 5

Problem Sensitivity 4.1 / 5

Deductive Reasoning 4.1 / 5

Oral Expression 4.1 / 5

Written Comprehension 4.0 / 5

Daily Tasks

Detectives and Criminal Investigators typically:

Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.
Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.
Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.
Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.
Prepare reports that detail investigation findings.
Prepare charges or responses to charges, or information for court cases, according to formalized procedures.
Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed.
Obtain summary of incident from officer in charge at crime scene, taking care to avoid disturbing evidence.
Note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene.
Examine records and governmental agency files to find identifying data about suspects.
Secure persons at scene, keeping witnesses from conversing or leaving the scene before investigators arrive.
Provide information to lab personnel concerning the source of an item of evidence and tests to be performed.

Work Activities

Getting Information
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Documenting/Recording Information
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Communicating with People Outside the Organization
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Working with Computers
Processing Information
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Adobe Photoshop, Linux In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

Other careers like detectives and criminal investigators include:

Also Known As

Air Marshal, Burglary Investigator, CIA Agent (Central Intelligence Agency Agent), Child Support Agent, Child Support Investigator, Child Support Officer, City Detective, Counter Intelligence Agent, Crime Analyst, Crime Investigator Special Agent, Crime Scene Investigator (CSI), Criminal Analyst, Criminal Investigations Agent, Criminal Investigative Agent, Criminal Investigator.

References

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
O*NET-SOC code: 33-3021.00

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