Great Falls, MT · SOC 33-3021

Detectives and Criminal Investigators in the Great Falls Metro

Metro area salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025)

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Geography used: wage and employment figures cover the full Great Falls, MT BLS wage area, not only its central city; the comparison figure is the United States national estimate. Verify with the BLS OEWS source tables.

Median Salary

$136,120

per year in the Great Falls metro

+45% above

National Median

$93,790

per year nationally

Hourly Rate

$65.44/hr

median hourly

Employment

40

jobs in the Great Falls metro

The Great Falls pay distribution spans from $67,200 at the 10th percentile to $167,110 at the 90th, a 2.5× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $75,330 and the 75th at $158,060, so half of Great Falls-based detectives and criminal investigators earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Great Falls, MT covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide MT estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.

Salary Range in the Great Falls Metro

Annual Salary Distribution

10th$67,200
25th$75,330
Median$136,120
75th$158,060
90th$167,110

Top Paying Jobs in Great Falls

1. Family Medicine Physicians Small sample: Small sample: this BLS estimate rests on 30 workers (fewer than 100). $449,840 2. Chief Executives Small sample: Small sample: this BLS estimate rests on 40 workers (fewer than 100). $217,910 3. Marketing Managers $177,930 4. Dentists, General Small sample: Small sample: this BLS estimate rests on 40 workers (fewer than 100). $162,810 5. Pharmacists Small sample: Small sample: this BLS estimate rests on 90 workers (fewer than 100). $136,560 6. Detectives and Criminal Investigators Small sample: Small sample: this BLS estimate rests on 40 workers (fewer than 100). $136,120 7. Computer and Information Systems Managers Small sample: Small sample: this BLS estimate rests on 70 workers (fewer than 100). $133,670 8. Physician Assistants Small sample: Small sample: this BLS estimate rests on 60 workers (fewer than 100). $132,740 9. Managers, All Other Small sample: Small sample: this BLS estimate rests on 60 workers (fewer than 100). $131,470 10. Financial Managers Small sample: Small sample: this BLS estimate rests on 90 workers (fewer than 100). $131,420

Small sample marks a row whose BLS estimate rests on fewer than 100 workers. It is still a published figure, but BLS reports more sampling error for cells this small: the median relative standard error of the mean wage is 3.4% under 100 workers against 2.1% at 100 or more (May 2025 metro estimates). Small gaps in rank between neighbouring rows may not be meaningful.

Similar Occupations in Great Falls

Other roles inside the Great Falls, MT MSA from the same SOC major group.

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Correctional Officers and Jailers

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Crossing Guards and Flaggers

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Fire Inspectors and Investigators

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Compare Detectives and Criminal Investigators against another occupation → ← National Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary Detectives and Criminal Investigators in MT →

How much do Detectives and Criminal Investigators make in the Great Falls metro area?

How much do Detectives and Criminal Investigators make in the Great Falls metro area? ▼
The median annual salary for Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Great Falls, MT is $136,120 ($65.44/hour). The salary range spans from $67,200 at the 10th percentile to $167,110 at the 90th percentile.
How does Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in the Great Falls metro compare nationally? ▼
Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in Great Falls, MT is +45% above the national median of $93,790. There are approximately 40 Detectives and Criminal Investigators jobs in this metro area.

Last updated: May 2025 (BLS OEWS annual release). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS data for the full Great Falls, MT wage area. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.