SOC 33-3021 · Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro

Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salary in Providence, RI

The average salary for detectives and criminal investigators in Providence, Rhode Island is $98,110 a year ($47.17 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $88,450: half of the 430 people in this job in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($99,430).

$98,110average per year

$47.17 / hourMedian $88,450Take-home ≈ $74,788

  • $76K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $88KMedian
  • $99K75th
  • $159K90th

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

430people in this job
-1%vs U.S. average
102cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay range in Providence

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $75,910 a year or less, while the top 10% make $159,140 or more. The middle half of detectives and criminal investigators in Providence earn between $77,760 and $99,100.

  • $76K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $88KMedian
  • $99K75th
  • $159K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$98,110$8,176$47.17
Median$88,450$7,371$42.52
Entry level (25th percentile)$77,760$6,480$37.38
Experienced (75th percentile)$99,100$8,258$47.64

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

Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in Providence vs. Rhode Island and the U.S.

Detectives and criminal investigators in Providence earn about the same as the Rhode Island average ($98,430) and about the same as the U.S. average ($99,430). At the median the gap is -6% against the U.S. median of $93,790.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Providence$98,110$88,450$75,910$159,140430
Rhode Island$98,430$88,450$75,910$159,140360
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 Providence

On the average salary of $98,110, a single filer in Providence takes home about $74,788 a year, or $6,232 a month and $2,876 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% of gross pay.

The Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in RI$74,788$6,232
Working in MA$73,265$6,105

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Rhode Island's Temporary Disability Insurance payroll contribution is not included.

Rhode Island paycheck calculator: try your own salary

Advertisement

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

Prices in the Providence area are 2% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 101.8), so the average $98,110 buys what about $96,401 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Providence ($53,680). A typical home costs $524,867, or 5.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $98,110 is worth in another city

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in nearby metro areas

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

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Providence, RI.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in Providence: questions

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

$47.17 an hour on average, and $42.52 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $75,910 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,760, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $74,788 a year ($6,232 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $98,110. Rhode Island's Temporary Disability Insurance payroll contribution is not included.

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

The average here is about the same as 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 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA (39300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.5%.
  • 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). Rhode Island's Temporary Disability Insurance payroll contribution is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.82, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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