Private Detectives and Investigators Salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Private Detectives and Investigators in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is $53,680. BLS estimates approximately 450 people work in this occupation in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is 4.8% above the national median ($51,220).
Salary Distribution
Not everyone earns the median. Percentile wages show the range of pay within this occupation.
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,640 | $19.06 |
| 25th percentile | $42,140 | $20.26 |
| Median (50th) | $53,680 | $25.81 |
| 75th percentile | $69,770 | $33.54 |
| 90th percentile | $94,230 | $45.30 |
Data Reliability
BLS OEWS is a survey, not a full census — every estimate carries a margin of error. The relative standard error (RSE) below is BLS’s own measure of how much an estimate could vary; lower is more precise.
- Wage estimate
- RSE 3.9% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 6.8% — Reliable
Where Does Your Salary Fall?
Enter an annual salary to see roughly where it falls among reported wages for this occupation, based on the percentile points above.
Concentration
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.157
- Location quotient
- 0.68
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD’s regional price level is above the national average (index 102.554, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $52,343 at the national price level.
This is a Career Atlas USA calculation based on BLS wage data and BEA Regional Price Parities. It is not a separate BLS wage estimate. Wage data: May 2025. Cost-of-living data: 2024.
Sources
Wage data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — May 2025 (release 25).
Figures shown as “Not available” reflect wages the source does not publish (e.g. suppressed for reliability), not zero.