BLS metro-level wage data places Private Detectives and Investigators pay in Memphis, TN-MS-AR at a median of $99,680 per year ($47.92/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $51,220, Memphis pays +95% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 310 private detectives and investigatorss are employed across the Memphis MSA in SOC 33-9021.

The Memphis pay distribution spans from $37,450 at the 10th percentile to $101,030 at the 90th — a 2.7× 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 $45,670 and the 75th at $100,050, so half of Memphis-based private detectives and 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 Memphis, TN-MS-AR 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 TN data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.