How much do Private Detectives and Investigators make in St. Louis, MO-IL?

Percentile spread

For Private Detectives and Investigators, the published 10th percentile is $37,120 and the 90th percentile is $103,500. The difference is $66,380, which is 154.6% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $40,460 to the 75th at $59,660, covers $19,200.

The mean annual wage is $54,730, which sits above the median of $42,930. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The St. Louis, MO-IL median is 16.2% lower than the national median of $51,220 for Private Detectives and Investigators. In 2024 national prices the local median is $45,148, which is 11.9% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 3.2% higher than the Missouri median of $41,600.

St. Louis, MO-IL covers more than one state. The state comparison uses Missouri, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for St. Louis, MO-IL is 95.088, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $42,930 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Private Detectives and Investigators at $45,148 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

3 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Private Detectives and Investigators. St. Louis, MO-IL ranks 2nd of 4 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Evansville, IN is 157 miles away, with a median of $48,280 and employment of 30. That median is 12.5% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $52,749, against $45,148 here.
• Springfield, MO is 181 miles away, with a median of $38,690 and employment of 60. That median is 9.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $43,676, against $45,148 here.
• Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL is 183 miles away, with a median of $39,960 and employment of 30. That median is 6.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $44,859, against $45,148 here.

Employment share

Private Detectives and Investigators accounts for 0.02% of wage-and-salary employment in St. Louis, MO-IL (230 of 1,341,320). Nationally the occupation is 0.02% of employment (35,580 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.75 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.