SOC 33-3021 · Abilene, TX metro

Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salary in Abilene, TX

The average salary for detectives and criminal investigators in Abilene, Texas is $66,680 a year ($32.06 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $59,980: half of the 60 people in this job in the Abilene, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 33% less than the U.S. average for this job ($99,430).

$66,680average per year

$32.06 / hourMedian $59,980Take-home ≈ $55,739

  • $46K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $60KMedian
  • $80K75th
  • $103K90th

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

60people in this job
-33%vs U.S. average
#22 of 24Texas metros
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay range in Abilene

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,990 a year or less, while the top 10% make $103,380 or more. The middle half of detectives and criminal investigators in Abilene earn between $49,530 and $80,240.

  • $46K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $60KMedian
  • $80K75th
  • $103K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$66,680$5,557$32.06
Median$59,980$4,998$28.84
Entry level (25th percentile)$49,530$4,128$23.81
Experienced (75th percentile)$80,240$6,687$38.58

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

Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay in Abilene vs. Texas and the U.S.

Detectives and criminal investigators in Abilene earn 28% less than the Texas average ($92,030) and 33% less than the U.S. average ($99,430). At the median the gap is -36% against the U.S. median of $93,790.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Abilene$66,680$59,980$45,990$103,38060
Texas$92,030$90,510$52,510$132,85018,870
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 Abilene

On the average salary of $66,680, a single filer in Abilene takes home about $55,739 a year, or $4,645 a month and $2,144 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Texas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Abilene area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.4), so the average $66,680 buys what about $73,790 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Abilene ($44,340). A typical home costs $217,009, or 3.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $66,680 is worth in another city

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in other Texas cities

Abilene ranks 22nd of 24 Texas metro areas for this job; San Angelo pays the most ($105,470).

All Detectives and Criminal Investigators salaries in Texas

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 Abilene, TX.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in Abilene: questions

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

$32.06 an hour on average, and $28.84 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,990 a year and the 25th percentile is $49,530, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $55,739 a year ($4,645 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $66,680. Texas has no state income tax.

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

The average here is 33% 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 Abilene, TX (10180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.12, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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