The median annual wage for Detectives and Criminal Investigators in California is $122,140 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $120,930.
Pay spans roughly $79,350 at the 10th percentile to $165,230 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $58.72 per hour. An estimated 11,900 people work as detectives and criminal investigators in California.
| Median (annual) | $122,140 |
| Mean (annual) | $120,930 |
| Median (hourly) | $58.72 |
| 10th percentile | $79,350 |
| 90th percentile | $165,230 |
| Employment | 11,900 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.