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Salary comparison

Detectives and Criminal Investigators vs. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers: Who Earns More?

Detectives and Criminal Investigators out-earn Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers by $18K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Detectives and Criminal Investigators land at $93,790 and Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers at $76,210. The education gap is real: detectives and criminal investigator programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while police and sheriff's patrol officer programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Detectives and Criminal Investigators is District of Columbia ($160,760); for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers it's California ($118,880).

Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Median salary
$93,790
$76,210
Hourly rate
$45.09/hr
$36.64/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$55,390
$47,510
Senior level (90th %)
$160,540
$115,120
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
114,430
670,520
Job growth (10-year)
-0.7%
3.1%
Category
Public Safety
Public Safety
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
California

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Detectives and Criminal Investigators median pay.

State
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
District of Columbia
$160,760
$88,650
California
$124,840
$118,880
Delaware
$122,050
$92,970
New Jersey
$116,300
$92,610
Washington
$115,790
$102,080
Alaska
$114,940
$99,130
Hawaii
$113,940
$83,820
Massachusetts
$110,150
$78,940
Oregon
$107,450
$88,140
Colorado
$105,480
$97,350
New York
$101,240
$92,790
Pennsylvania
$97,580
$85,470
Connecticut
$95,240
$82,170
Illinois
$91,190
$100,520
Minnesota
$80,000
$83,360

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Detectives and Criminal Investigators or Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers?

Detectives and Criminal Investigators earn more nationally. The median is $93,790 for Detectives and Criminal Investigators versus $76,210 for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, a difference of $18K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Detectives and Criminal Investigators or Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers?

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers has the better 10-year outlook at 3.1% projected growth, compared to -0.7% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Detectives and Criminal Investigators or Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers?

Detectives and Criminal Investigators typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Detectives and Criminal Investigators get paid the most?

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for Detectives and Criminal Investigators at $160,760/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Detectives and Criminal Investigators vs. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In District of Columbia, Detectives and Criminal Investigators earn $160,760 vs. $88,650 for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary breakdownView →Full Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Detectives and Criminal Investigators by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers by take-home payExplore →How to become a detectives and criminal investigatorsGuide →How to become a police and sheriff's patrol officersGuide →