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

$158,600a year

Median yearly pay for detective and criminal investigators in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area. That is $76.27 an hour or $13,220 a month.

Hourly: $76.27
Vs. national median: +69%
Rank among cities: 1 of 288
Jobs in the area: 280

Pay range

Lowest 10%: $100,500Median: $158,600Highest 10%: $188,100

Percentile	Yearly	Hourly
10th	$100,500	$48.32
25th	$117,800	$56.62
Median	$158,600	$76.27
75th	$158,600	$76.27
90th	$188,100	$90.44

Other cities in California

Median yearly pay for detective and criminal investigators.

Oxnard, CA	$153,600
Santa Rosa, CA	$133,100
Los Angeles, CA	$127,900
Riverside, CA	$127,400
San Francisco, CA	$126,700
San Diego, CA	$124,800
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 Jose

Same field, median yearly pay.

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Worker	$171,700
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detective	$163,700
Firefighter	$152,100
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officer	$136,100
Correctional Officer and Jailer	$132,700
First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Worker	$92,410
Transportation Security Screener	$78,940
Parking Enforcement Worker	$70,590
Private Detective and Investigator	$64,060
Crossing Guard and Flagger	$58,810

Salaries for every job in San Jose, CA

Frequently asked questions

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

The median hourly pay in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area is $76.27 ($158,600 a year).

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

Yes: $158,600 against $93,790 nationally, 69% more.

How does San Jose compare with the rest of California?

The median in California is $124,800, so San Jose pays 27% more.

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

1 of 288 metro areas with data.

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

The lowest-paid 10% make $100,500 or less a year; the top 10% make $188,100 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.