SOC 33-3021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Detectives and Criminal Investigators — Eau Claire
Eau Claire, WI · 8 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Eau Claire, WI is $78,310 a year, trailing the national median of $93,790 by 16.5%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -0.7%
- Openings per year
- 7,800
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Eau Claire, WI.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Eau Claire, WI is $78,310 a year, trailing the national median of $93,790 by 16.5%. Half of workers earn between $72,860 and $90,400. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $71,310 and the ninetieth at $102,590.
The area has 60 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.94 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Madison leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $102,780. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 66th of 305 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $71,310 | −24.0% |
| 25th | $72,860 | −22.3% |
| Median (50th) | $78,310 | −16.5% |
| 75th | $90,400 | −3.6% |
| 90th | $102,590 | +9.4% |
| Mean | $83,460 | −11.0% |
Other metro areas in Wisconsin
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Eau Claire run 7.2% below the national average, so the median of $78,310 goes as far as $84,386 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 10.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$78,310as reported by BLSLocal price level
92.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$84,386US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $78,310 a year, 16.5% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $71,310 to $102,590 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 60 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Madison, at $102,780.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Eau Claire, WI?
The median annual wage is $78,310, or $37.65 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $93,790, so pay in Eau Claire, WI is 16.5% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Eau Claire, WI earns more than $102,590 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $71,310 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Madison, at $102,780 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 60 jobs in this occupation in Eau Claire, WI. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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