SOC 33-3021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Detectives and Criminal Investigators — Milwaukee
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI · 8 metro areas compared
The median wage for Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Milwaukee, WI is $92,910 per year, close to the national median of $93,790 for the same occupation.
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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, 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
The median wage for Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Milwaukee, WI is $92,910 per year, close to the national median of $93,790 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $72,220 at the tenth percentile to more than $142,330 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $92,910 to $98,830.
The area has 550 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.7 of every thousand jobs. 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 109th of 593 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $72,220 | −23.0% |
| 25th | $92,910 | −0.9% |
| Median (50th) | $92,910 | −0.9% |
| 75th | $98,830 | +5.4% |
| 90th | $142,330 | +51.8% |
| Mean | $98,890 | +5.4% |
Other metro areas in Wisconsin
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madison | $102,780 | 280 | |
| 2 | Appleton | $92,030 | 50 | |
| 3 | Kenosha | $91,820 | 70 | |
| 4 | Racine | $89,210 | 70 | |
| 5 | Wausau | $88,780 | 30 | |
| 6 | Janesville | $84,520 | 30 | |
| 7 | Green Bay | $84,190 | 60 | |
| 8 | Eau Claire | $78,310 | 60 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Milwaukee run 3.1% below the national average, so the median of $92,910 goes as far as $95,882 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 2.2% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$92,910as reported by BLSLocal price level
96.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$95,882US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $92,910 a year, 0.9% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $72,220 to $142,330 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 550 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 Milwaukee, WI?
The median annual wage is $92,910, or $44.67 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 Milwaukee, WI is 0.9% 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 Milwaukee, WI earns more than $142,330 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $72,220 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 550 jobs in this occupation in Milwaukee, 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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