SOC 33-3021 · Joplin, MO-KS metro

Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salary in Joplin, MO

The average salary for detectives and criminal investigators in Joplin, Missouri is $52,670 a year ($25.32 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $49,200: half of the 40 people in this job in the Joplin, MO-KS metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 47% less than the U.S. average for this job ($99,430).

$52,670average per year

$25.32 / hourMedian $49,200Take-home ≈ $42,962

  • $41K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $58K75th
  • $70K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

40people in this job
-47%vs U.S. average
#6 of 6Missouri metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay range in Joplin

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,620 a year or less, while the top 10% make $70,430 or more. The middle half of detectives and criminal investigators in Joplin earn between $46,870 and $57,540.

  • $41K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $58K75th
  • $70K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$52,670$4,389$25.32
Median$49,200$4,100$23.65
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,870$3,906$22.53
Experienced (75th percentile)$57,540$4,795$27.66

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in Joplin vs. Missouri and the U.S.

Detectives and criminal investigators in Joplin earn 39% less than the Missouri average ($85,720) and 47% less than the U.S. average ($99,430). At the median the gap is -48% against the U.S. median of $93,790.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Joplin$52,670$49,200$40,620$70,43040
Missouri$85,720$75,650$49,190$151,7201,600
United States$99,430$93,790$55,390$160,540114,430

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary after taxes in Joplin

On the average salary of $52,670, a single filer in Joplin takes home about $42,962 a year, or $3,580 a month and $1,652 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

The Joplin, MO-KS metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in MO$42,962$3,580
Working in KS$42,361$3,530

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Missouri paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Joplin a good place for detectives and criminal investigators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Joplin area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.7), so the average $52,670 buys what about $61,446 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Joplin ($44,980). A typical home costs $226,857, or 4.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $52,670 is worth in another city

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in other Missouri cities

Joplin ranks 6th of 6 Missouri metro areas for this job; Kansas City pays the most ($94,460).

All Detectives and Criminal Investigators salaries in Missouri

Highest-paying cities for detectives and criminal investigators

Brunswick, GA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($148,490).

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Joplin, MO.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in Joplin: questions

How much do detectives and criminal investigators make an hour in Joplin?

$25.32 an hour on average, and $23.65 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level detectives and criminal investigators salary in Joplin?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,620 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,870, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the detectives and criminal investigators take-home pay in Joplin?

About $42,962 a year ($3,580 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $52,670. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Do detectives and criminal investigators earn more in Joplin than elsewhere?

The average here is 47% less than the U.S. average for this job ($99,430).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-3021; area Joplin, MO-KS (27900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.67, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.67).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.