BLS metro-level wage data places Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD at a median of $128,440 per year ($61.75/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $93,790, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays +37% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 490 detectives and criminal investigatorss are employed across the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson MSA in SOC 33-3021.

The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pay distribution spans from $77,160 at the 10th percentile to $189,970 at the 90th — a 2.5× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $105,750 and the 75th at $165,800, so half of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson-based detectives and criminal investigatorss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide MD data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.