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Salary comparison

Detectives and Criminal Investigators vs. Security Guards: Who Earns More?

Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss out-earn Security Guardss by $56K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss land at $93,790 and Security Guardss at $38,020. The education gap is real: detectives and criminal investigator programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while security guard programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss is District of Columbia ($160,760); for Security Guardss it's District of Columbia ($64,210).

Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Security Guards
Median salary
$93,790
$38,020
Hourly rate
$45.09/hr
$18.28/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$55,390
$30,210
Senior level (90th %)
$160,540
$58,840
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
114,430
1,283,470
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Public Safety
Public Safety
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
District of Columbia

Pay by state

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

State
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Security Guards
District of Columbia
$160,760
$64,210
California
$124,840
$43,240
Washington
$115,790
$47,100
Alaska
$114,940
$47,480
Hawaii
$113,940
$42,820
Virginia
$112,760
$43,640
Massachusetts
$110,150
$44,670
Oregon
$107,450
$45,500
Vermont
$106,330
$45,550
Colorado
$105,480
$45,150
New York
$101,240
$44,240
New Hampshire
$89,290
$45,200
New Mexico
$86,840
$43,320
Minnesota
$80,000
$43,380
Utah
$78,920
$42,700

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss or Security Guardss?

Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss earn more nationally. The median is $93,790 for Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss versus $38,020 for Security Guardss, a difference of $56K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Detectives and Criminal Investigators or Security Guards?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Detectives and Criminal Investigators or Security Guards?

Detectives and Criminal Investigators typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Security Guards requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss get paid the most?

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss 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. Security Guards pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In District of Columbia, Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss earn $160,760 vs. $64,210 for Security Guardss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary breakdownView →Full Security Guards salary breakdownView →Best cities for Detectives and Criminal Investigatorss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Security Guardss by take-home payExplore →How to become a detectives and criminal investigatorsGuide →How to become a security guardsGuide →