Salaries for Detectives, Homicide Detectives, Criminologists and Criminal Investigators in Texas

Statistical data released by the Texas Workforce Commission reveals an average annual detective salary in Texas of $74,596. The median is just minimally lower at $74,047. Starting salary has been found to be around $43,946 per year, while salaries for the more experienced have been found to average $89,921, a significant difference of 51%.

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Also, the Texas Workforce Commission provides detailed information about detectives’ salaries in Texas by city/region, as seen below:

Houston, Sugarland, Baytown

  • Average: $81,838
  • Median: $63,605
  • Starting: $40,173
  • Experience: $102,670

Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington

  • Average: $77,147
  • Median: $66,731
  • Starting: $40,309
  • Experience: $95,566

Austin, Round Rock, San Marcos

  • Average: $64,758
  • Median: $57,373
  • Starting: $37,003
  • Experience: $78,635

El Paso

  • Average: $82,188
  • Median: $88,860
  • Starting: $58,054
  • Experience: $94,255

Corpus Christi

  • Average: $73,545
  • Median: $71,773
  • Starting: $38,990
  • Experience: $90,823

Laredo

  • Average: $79,783
  • Median: $86,018
  • Starting: $62,391
  • Experience: $88,479

Lubbock

  • Average: $61,296
  • Median: $56,671
  • Starting: $37,029
  • Experience: $73,430

Amarillo

  • Average: $52,552
  • Median: $48,907
  • Starting: $32,769
  • Experience: $62,444

For comparative purposes, additional salary information can be found in the following table as reported by the US Department of Labor:

Area name
Employment
Annual mean wage
Abilene TX
50
48830
Amarillo TX
70
51800
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos TX
1350
65450
Beaumont-Port Arthur TX
110
63910
Brownsville-Harlingen TX
850
87250
Corpus Christi TX
180
76840
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX
1750
80260
Dallas-Plano-Irving TX Metropolitan Division
1260
86240
El Paso TX
1600
84850
Fort Worth-Arlington TX Metropolitan Division
490
64700
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown TX
1680
82440
Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood TX
110
52360
Laredo TX
1280
83260
Longview TX
70
47460
Lubbock TX
230
62490
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission TX
1120
76830
Midland TX
100
66360
San Angelo TX
60
85790
San Antonio-New Braunfels TX
1220
68860
Texarkana-Texarkana TX-AR
40
59010
Tyler TX
90
58230
Victoria TX
60
46490
Waco TX
80
63110
Wichita Falls TX
50
48880
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area
210
48220
North Central Texas nonmetropolitan area
60
47170
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area
290
43250
Central Texas nonmetropolitan area
110
44250
Southern Texas nonmetropolitan area
2920
83170
Gulf Coast Texas nonmetropolitan area
750
75540

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