What is the reason for detectives and investigators being paid less than police officers?

Are you comparing apples to oranges?

We estimate that about 5% of the 100,000 PIs in the U.S. make more than police officers. Let’s look at the numbers:

• POLICE OFFICERS: If you include salary and overtime, a police officer can easily make a high salary of $175,000 per year or more.
• PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS: The most successful private investigators (estimated at 5%) own their agencies and have the luxury of working on high-profile cases. They can easily make $200,000 or more.

Many of us here have worked as federal agents of the FBI, DEA, IRS, or Secret Service. In that life, we worked in structured government funding, with our checks issued every two weeks.

As private investigators, we work in a highly competitive and client-driven system. The private investigative industry has tremendous peaks and valleys. One month, you might be able to purchase a Mercedez-Benz, and the next month, you might struggle to put gas in the tank.

Also, many talented investigators are trying to make their mark in the PI industry. It is a tough road to maneuver if you have no business sense.