SOC 33-3021 · Bowling Green, KY metro

Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salary in Bowling Green, KY

The average salary for detectives and criminal investigators in Bowling Green, Kentucky is $101,850 a year ($48.97 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $79,360: half of the 40 people in this job in the Bowling Green, KY 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).

$101,850average per year

$48.97 / hourMedian $79,360Take-home ≈ $74,997

  • $43K10th
  • $61K25th
  • $79KMedian
  • $149K75th
  • $162K90th

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

40people in this job
+2%vs U.S. average
#1 of 3Kentucky metros
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay range in Bowling Green

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,080 a year or less, while the top 10% make $162,450 or more. The middle half of detectives and criminal investigators in Bowling Green earn between $60,910 and $149,280.

  • $43K10th
  • $61K25th
  • $79KMedian
  • $149K75th
  • $162K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$101,850$8,488$48.97
Median$79,360$6,613$38.15
Entry level (25th percentile)$60,910$5,076$29.28
Experienced (75th percentile)$149,280$12,440$71.77

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

Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in Bowling Green vs. Kentucky and the U.S.

Detectives and criminal investigators in Bowling Green earn 17% more than the Kentucky average ($86,900) and about the same as the U.S. average ($99,430). At the median the gap is -15% against the U.S. median of $93,790.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Bowling Green$101,850$79,360$43,080$162,45040
Kentucky$86,900$71,670$51,640$149,280720
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 Bowling Green

On the average salary of $101,850, a single filer in Bowling Green takes home about $74,997 a year, or $6,250 a month and $2,885 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Bowling Green's local income tax (2%).

Kentucky paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Bowling Green area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.2), so the average $101,850 buys what about $112,942 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Bowling Green ($45,040). A typical home costs $267,047, or 2.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $101,850 is worth in another city

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in other Kentucky cities

Bowling Green ranks 1st of 3 Kentucky metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Detectives and Criminal Investigators salaries in Kentucky

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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Reviewed before it counts. Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Bowling Green, KY.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in Bowling Green: questions

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

$48.97 an hour on average, and $38.16 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,080 a year and the 25th percentile is $60,910, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $74,997 a year ($6,250 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $101,850. Includes Bowling Green's local income tax (2%).

Do detectives and criminal investigators earn more in Bowling Green 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 Bowling Green, KY (14540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.7%.
  • 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). Includes Bowling Green's local income tax (2%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.69, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.69).

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