How much does a detective and criminal investigator make in San Diego?

$124,800a year

Median yearly pay for detective and criminal investigators in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area. That is $60.02 an hour or $10,400 a month.

Hourly: $60.02
Vs. national median: +33%
Rank among cities: 14 of 288
Jobs in the area: 2,990

Pay range

Lowest 10%: $77,790Median: $124,800Highest 10%: $167,100

Percentile	Yearly	Hourly
10th	$77,790	$37.40
25th	$104,600	$50.29
Median	$124,800	$60.02
75th	$128,200	$61.65
90th	$167,100	$80.34

Other cities in California

Median yearly pay for detective and criminal investigators.

San Jose, CA	$158,600
Oxnard, CA	$153,600
Santa Rosa, CA	$133,100
Los Angeles, CA	$127,900
Riverside, CA	$127,400
San Francisco, CA	$126,700
El Centro, CA	$124,000
Stockton, CA	$113,400
Fresno, CA	$109,700
Sacramento, CA	$109,500
Vallejo, CA	$108,400
Salinas, CA	$106,000
Modesto, CA	$104,000
Bakersfield, CA	$96,760
Visalia, CA	$85,740

Detective and Criminal Investigator salary in California Detective and Criminal Investigator salary in all states

Related jobs in San Diego

Same field, median yearly pay.

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detective	$148,300
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officer	$110,400
First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Worker	$103,200
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Worker	$99,540
Fire Inspector and Investigator	$97,250
Transportation Security Screener	$72,130
Firefighter	$70,900
Parking Enforcement Worker	$62,160
Crossing Guard and Flagger	$55,360
Private Detective and Investigator	$48,650

Salaries for every job in San Diego, CA

Frequently asked questions

How much does a detective and criminal investigator make an hour in San Diego?

The median hourly pay in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $60.02 ($124,800 a year).

Do detective and criminal investigators make more in San Diego than the national average?

Yes: $124,800 against $93,790 nationally, 33% more.

How does San Diego compare with the rest of California?

The median in California is $124,800, so San Diego pays 0% more.

Where does San Diego rank for detective and criminal investigator pay?

14 of 288 metro areas with data.

How much does a detective and criminal investigator make starting out in San Diego?

The lowest-paid 10% make $77,790 or less a year; the top 10% make $167,100 or more.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS): pay in May 2025, published by BLS in 2026. Hourly pay is the yearly figure divided by 2,080 hours.