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Salary comparison

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

Detectives and Criminal Investigators out-earn Security Guards by $56K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Detectives and Criminal Investigators land at $93,790 and Security Guards 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 Investigators is District of Columbia ($160,760); for Security Guards 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)
-0.7%
0.4%
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 Investigators or Security Guards?

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

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

Security Guards has the better 10-year outlook at 0.4% 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 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 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. Security Guards pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In District of Columbia, Detectives and Criminal Investigators earn $160,760 vs. $64,210 for Security Guards. 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 Investigators by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Security Guards by take-home payExplore →How to become a detectives and criminal investigatorsGuide →How to become a security guardsGuide →