The median annual wage for Private Detectives and Investigators in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is $69,500 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $76,130.
Pay spans roughly $48,480 at the 10th percentile to $114,450 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $33.42 per hour. An estimated 380 people work as private detectives and investigators in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
| Median (annual) | $69,500 |
| Mean (annual) | $76,130 |
| Median (hourly) | $33.42 |
| 10th percentile | $48,480 |
| 90th percentile | $114,450 |
| Employment | 380 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.