Private Detectives and Investigators in New York

Get the information you need to know about working as a Private Detective or Investigator.

You’re in luck! Jobs for Private Detectives and Investigators in New York are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Private Detectives and Investigators in New York is growing faster than average.

• Private Detectives and Investigators in New York earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Private Detective or Investigator Career?

• Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting
• Criminal Justice & Corrections
• Criminal Justice & Police Science
• Law Enforcement Record-Keeping & Evidence Management
• Cyber/Computer Forensics & Counterterrorism
• Financial Forensics & Fraud Investigation
• Protective Services Operations
• Maritime Law Enforcement
• Cultural/Archaelogical Resources Protection

How Many Private Detectives and Investigators Work in New York?

1,720 people worked as Private Detectives and Investigators in 2018 in this state.

There were 1,750 Private Detectives and Investigators employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 30 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 320 Private Detectives and Investigators working in it, which means New York has more Private Detectives and Investigators than average.

Job Projections for New York

Jobs for Private Detectives and Investigators in this state are growing at a rate of 18.8% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 10.6%.

New York Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 330 annual Private Detectives and Investigators job openings in New York, and 3,220 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 4,500 annual jobs and 45,800 total jobs in 2026.

What do Private Detectives and Investigators Make in New York?

In 2018 wages for Private Detectives and Investigators ranged from $31,620 to $90,690 with $59,780 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $15.2 to $43.6. The median hourly rate was $28.74.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $28.67 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.07.

The median salary in New York is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top New York Metros for Private Detectives and Investigators

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Private Detectives and Investigators.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	1,590	$60,190
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY	70	n/a
Rochester, NY	40	$74,820

Top States for Private Detectives and Investigators Employment

View the list below to see where most Private Detectives and Investigators work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
California	3,870	$65,420
Pennsylvania	3,100	$42,750
Florida	2,860	$36,570
New York	1,720	$59,780
Texas	1,570	$46,720
Ohio	1,280	$38,080
Georgia	1,080	$47,500
Illinois	860	$55,580
New Jersey	740	$62,060
Tennessee	580	$0
North Carolina	570	$51,370
Massachusetts	550	$54,340
Michigan	530	$50,620
Louisiana	520	$44,490
Minnesota	490	$0
Nevada	460	$69,300
Arizona	380	$52,060
Oregon	350	$52,260
Colorado	340	$50,740
Oklahoma	300	$37,220

Below are the states where Private Detectives and Investigators get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Nevada	$69,300
District of Columbia	$68,940
Alaska	$67,240
California	$65,420
Virginia	$65,170
New Jersey	$62,060
New York	$59,780
Idaho	$57,310
Connecticut	$57,300
Maryland	$56,580

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.