Detectives and Criminal Investigators Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in employment of detectives and criminal investigators from 2025 to 2035 (+0.2%, about 200 more jobs), with about 7,800 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $93,790 a year ranks 167th of 825 occupations.
- Little or no change
- +0.2%
- Openings a year
- 7,800
- Median pay
- $93,790
- Pay rank
- 167th of 825
Is employment of detectives and criminal investigators growing or shrinking?
Little or no change: BLS projects +0.2% employment change for detectives and criminal investigators from 2025 to 2035 (about 200 more jobs), slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +1.1% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 24 protective service occupations with a projection. That change ranks 585th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 120,500 |
| Employment, 2035 | 120,700 |
| Projected change | +0.2% (little or no change) |
| Openings a year | 7,800 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 120,500 jobs here differ from the 114,430 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 7,800 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 308th most of 830 occupations. Nearly all of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 20 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for detectives and criminal investigators rank?
The median of $93,790 a year ranks 167th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Work experience in a related occupation: less than 5 years.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private Detectives and Investigators | +5.5% | 3,200 | $51,220 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | +3.5% | 51,500 | $76,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | +3.3% | 10,600 | $106,040 |
| Transit and Railroad Police | +3.2% | 300 | $90,230 |
| Bailiffs | -1.9% | 1,600 | $56,600 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | -2.5% | 3,700 | $77,970 |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | -7.4% | 28,400 | $58,940 |
| Protective Service Workers, All Other | +3.0% | 22,600 | $42,540 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.