SOC 33-3021 · Amarillo, TX metro

Detectives and Criminal Investigators Salary in Amarillo, TX

The average salary for detectives and criminal investigators in Amarillo, Texas is $73,380 a year ($35.28 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $74,980: half of the 90 people in this job in the Amarillo, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 26% less than the U.S. average for this job ($99,430).

$73,380average per year

$35.28 / hourMedian $74,980Take-home ≈ $60,453

  • $46K10th
  • $54K25th
  • $75KMedian
  • $80K75th
  • $92K90th

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

90people in this job
-26%vs U.S. average
#19 of 24Texas metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Detectives and Criminal Investigators pay range in Amarillo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,990 a year or less, while the top 10% make $92,410 or more. The middle half of detectives and criminal investigators in Amarillo earn between $53,920 and $80,260.

  • $46K10th
  • $54K25th
  • $75KMedian
  • $80K75th
  • $92K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$73,380$6,115$35.28
Median$74,980$6,248$36.05
Entry level (25th percentile)$53,920$4,493$25.92
Experienced (75th percentile)$80,260$6,688$38.59

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

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

Detectives and criminal investigators in Amarillo earn 20% less than the Texas average ($92,030) and 26% less than the U.S. average ($99,430). At the median the gap is -20% against the U.S. median of $93,790.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Amarillo$73,380$74,980$45,990$92,41090
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 Amarillo

On the average salary of $73,380, a single filer in Amarillo takes home about $60,453 a year, or $5,038 a month and $2,325 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% 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 Amarillo a good place for detectives and criminal investigators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Amarillo area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.8), so the average $73,380 buys what about $79,917 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Amarillo ($44,580). A typical home costs $219,904, or 3.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $73,380 is worth in another city

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in other Texas cities

Amarillo ranks 19th 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 Amarillo, TX.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary in Amarillo: questions

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

$35.28 an hour on average, and $36.05 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,990 a year and the 25th percentile is $53,920, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $60,453 a year ($5,038 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $73,380. Texas has no state income tax.

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

The average here is 26% 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 Amarillo, TX (11100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.2%.
  • 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 0.98, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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