CareerFacts

All careers › Private Detectives and Investigators › Florida

Private investigator salary in Florida

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$50,640median pay per year in Florida, or $24.35 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $35,990lowest 10% earn less
  2. $38,12025th percentile
  3. $50,640median
  4. $64,08075th percentile
  5. $85,830top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $51,220[3]

The median pay for private investigators in Florida was $50,640 a year in May 2025[1]. That was lower than the US median of $51,220[3].

Jobs in FL
3,660[4]
Rank by median pay
24 of 49[5]
Compared with US median
−1.1%[6]

How much do private investigators make in Florida?

The median wage for private investigators in Florida was $50,640 a year, or $24.35 an hour[1]. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. The average was higher at $55,820 a year[7]. Across the US, the median was $51,220[3], so Florida sat $580 (1.1%) lower[6]. Compared with all jobs in Florida, where the median was $47,880[8], private investigators earned $2,760 more[9].

The 10th percentile wage for private investigators in Florida was $35,990 a year, and the 25th percentile was $38,120[2]. At the top, the 75th percentile was $64,080 and the 90th percentile was $85,830[2]. Florida had the 24th highest median annual wage for this job out of the 48 states and DC with a published median[5].

Within Florida, the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach area had the highest median, at $59,350 a year[10]. Tallahassee followed in the metro list at $56,510[11]. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area had the largest count of jobs in the metro list, with a median of $54,720[11].

These figures count wage and salary workers only. Self-employed people and business owners are left out, and so are bonuses and the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].

Florida vs US pay

Pay for private investigators in Florida next to the national figures[1][3].

FLUS
Median per year$50,640[1]$51,220[3]
Median per hour$24.35[1]$24.62[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$35,990[2]$36,740[13]
Top 10% earn more than$85,830[2]$97,630[13]
Jobs3,660[4]35,580[3]

Pay by metro area in Florida

Metro areas in Florida with the most jobs for private investigators, and the median pay in each[11].

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL[11]$54,7201,030
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$51,390660
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL$47,360450
Jacksonville, FL$48,060310
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL$39,690130
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL$59,350120
Tallahassee, FL$56,510120
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$49,87090

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for private investigators in the states that border Florida, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Alabama[14]$46,810530
Georgia$45,0601,460

Median pay for private investigators in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for private investigators are projected to grow 5.5% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: high school diploma or equivalent[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a private investigator make in Florida?
The median wage for private investigators in Florida was $50,640 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $55,820 a year[7].
How much does a private investigator make an hour in Florida?
The median hourly wage was $24.35[1]. The 10th percentile hourly wage was $17.31 and the 90th was $41.26[17].
Which city in Florida pays private investigators the most?
Of the metro areas with a published median, Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach had the highest, at $59,350 a year[10]. Tallahassee was next among the largest metros listed at $56,510[11].
Is Florida a good state for private investigators?
Florida had the 24th highest median annual wage for this job out of the 48 states and DC with a published median[5]. Its median was $580 (1.1%) lower than the US median[6].
What do you need to become a private investigator in Florida?
These are US figures, not Florida ones. Across the US, the typical entry education is a high school diploma or equivalent, with less than 5 years of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training[16].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Private Detectives and Investigators in Florida was $50,640 per year and $24.35 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Private Detectives and Investigators in Florida: 10th percentile $35,990, 25th percentile $38,120, 75th percentile $64,080, 90th percentile $85,830. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Private Detectives and Investigators in the US as a whole was $51,220 per year and $24.62 per hour, with about 35,580 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 3,660 people worked as Private Detectives and Investigators in Florida (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: Florida had the 24th highest median annual wage for Private Detectives and Investigators out of the 48 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Private Detectives and Investigators in Florida ($50,640) was $580 (1.1%) lower than the US median ($51,220). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Private Detectives and Investigators in Florida was $55,820 per year and $26.84 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in Florida was $47,880. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Private Detectives and Investigators in Florida was $2,760 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($47,880). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 16 metro areas in or partly in Florida with a published median for Private Detectives and Investigators, Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL had the highest median annual wage, $59,350. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Private Detectives and Investigators in the US: 10th percentile $36,740, 25th percentile $40,700, 75th percentile $73,990, 90th percentile $97,630. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Private Detectives and Investigators in states that border Florida (highest first): Alabama $46,810; Georgia $45,060. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Private Detectives and Investigators is projected to grow 5.5% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,200 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Private Detectives and Investigators: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: Less than 5 years; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Private Detectives and Investigators in Florida: 10th percentile $17.31, 25th percentile $18.33, 75th percentile $30.81, 90th percentile $41.26. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only Florida. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.