SOC 33-3021 · Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro

Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salary in Augusta, GA

The average salary for detectives and criminal investigators in Augusta, Georgia is $74,750 a year ($35.94 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $64,980: half of the 230 people in this job in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 25% less than the U.S. average for this job ($99,430).

$74,750average per year

$35.94 / hourMedian $64,980Take-home ≈ $58,435

  • $50K10th
  • $57K25th
  • $65KMedian
  • $74K75th
  • $115K90th

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

230people in this job
-25%vs U.S. average
#6 of 12Georgia metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay range in Augusta

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,300 a year or less, while the top 10% make $115,210 or more. The middle half of detectives and criminal investigators in Augusta earn between $57,060 and $74,260.

  • $50K10th
  • $57K25th
  • $65KMedian
  • $74K75th
  • $115K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$74,750$6,229$35.94
Median$64,980$5,415$31.24
Entry level (25th percentile)$57,060$4,755$27.43
Experienced (75th percentile)$74,260$6,188$35.70

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

Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in Augusta vs. Georgia and the U.S.

Detectives and criminal investigators in Augusta earn 4% less than the Georgia average ($78,140) and 25% less than the U.S. average ($99,430). At the median the gap is -31% against the U.S. median of $93,790.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Augusta$74,750$64,980$50,300$115,210230
Georgia$78,140$65,430$46,790$149,0305,070
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 Augusta

On the average salary of $74,750, a single filer in Augusta takes home about $58,435 a year, or $4,870 a month and $2,248 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

The Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in SC$58,776$4,898
Working in GA$58,435$4,870

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Georgia paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Augusta area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.9), so the average $74,750 buys what about $81,336 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Augusta ($45,990). A typical home costs $253,524, or 3.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $74,750 is worth in another city

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in other Georgia cities

Augusta ranks 6th of 12 Georgia metro areas for this job; Brunswick pays the most ($148,490).

All Detectives and Criminal Investigators salaries in Georgia

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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Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in Augusta: questions

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

$35.94 an hour on average, and $31.24 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,300 a year and the 25th percentile is $57,060, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $58,435 a year ($4,870 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $74,750.

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

The average here is 25% 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 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (12260). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.6%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.35, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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