SOC 33-9021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Private Detectives and Investigators — Waterbury
Waterbury-Shelton, CT · 3 metro areas compared
The median wage for Private Detectives and Investigators in Waterbury, CT is $76,630 per year, well above the national median of $51,220.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +6.0%
- Openings per year
- 3,900
- 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.
10.8% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
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 Private Detectives and Investigators in Waterbury, CT is $76,630 per year, well above the national median of $51,220. The gap of 49.6% is among the widest recorded for this occupation. Pay ranges from under $37,460 at the tenth percentile to more than $89,070 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $42,590 to $83,320.
Employment stands at 50, or 0.3 jobs per thousand held locally. Hartford leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $77,540. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 149th of 387 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $37,460 | −26.9% |
| 25th | $42,590 | −16.8% |
| Median (50th) | $76,630 | +49.6% |
| 75th | $83,320 | +62.7% |
| 90th | $89,070 | +73.9% |
| Mean | $63,850 | +24.7% |
Other metro areas in Connecticut
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hartford | $77,540 | 150 | |
| 2 | New Haven | $65,030 | 70 | |
| 3 | Bridgeport | $64,080 | 60 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Waterbury sit close to the national average, so $76,630 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$76,630as reported by BLSLocal price level
99.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$76,784US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $76,630 a year, 49.6% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $37,460 to $89,070 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 50 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Hartford, at $77,540.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Private Detectives and Investigators in Waterbury, CT?
The median annual wage is $76,630, or $36.84 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 $51,220, so pay in Waterbury, CT is 49.6% higher. 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 Waterbury, CT earns more than $89,070 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $37,460 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 Hartford, at $77,540 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 50 jobs in this occupation in Waterbury, CT. 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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