Private Detectives and Investigators pay in Texas
$58,670avg. a year
$28.21 an hour · 3,220 employed
Private Detectives and Investigators in Texas earn an average of $58,670 a year. That is $1,480 (2%) less than the U.S. average of $60,150. The best-paying metro area is Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX at $62,630.
$51,810Median pay
$28.21Average hourly
-13%Avg. pay since 2020
#25Of 48 states + D.C.
Top-paying Texas metro areas
Average pay for private detectives and investigators by metro area. Swipe to see all 9.
11,070 jobs
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$62,630
$30.11 an hour
2260 jobs
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
$60,730
$29.20 an hour
350 jobs
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
$57,630
$27.71 an hour
4710 jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$55,970
$26.91 an hour
530 jobs
Tyler, TX
$54,790
$26.34 an hour
640 jobs
Corpus Christi, TX
$53,070
$25.51 an hour
750 jobs
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
$46,240
$22.23 an hour
830 jobs
Lubbock, TX
$45,660
$21.95 an hour
970 jobs
El Paso, TX
$44,450
$21.37 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Private Detectives and Investigators pay in Texas, charted
Pay over time
Texas, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Texas private detectives and investigators work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Texas highlighted · tap a state
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Under $50k$50k–$59k$59k–$64k$64k+Texas
Texas vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $60,150 | $28.92 |
| Texas | $58,670 | $28.21 |
| Arkansas | $57,940 | $27.86 |
| New Mexico | $49,550 | $23.82 |
| Oklahoma | $46,450 | $22.33 |
| Louisiana | $46,110 | $22.17 |
Related jobs in Texas
Average pay, Texas, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do private detectives and investigators make in Texas?
The average is $58,670 a year, and the median is $51,810. That is $1,480 (2%) less than the U.S. average of $60,150.
What is the hourly wage in Texas?
$28.21 an hour on average; the median is $24.91.
Where in Texas do they earn the most?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($62,630), followed by San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX ($60,730). The lowest average among 9 metro areas with data is El Paso, TX ($44,450).
How does Texas rank?
Texas ranks #25 of 49 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 33-9021. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national private detectives and investigators page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.