Quick answer: The Milwaukee metro employs about 550 detectives and criminal investigators (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through the hiring agency on its education and academy requirements.
Compare criminology programs enrolling now:
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Criminology itself is not licensed. Sworn investigative roles run through a law enforcement academy and agency hiring process, which the degree does not replace; analyst roles in agencies and research settings weight the methods and statistics coursework.
See the Wisconsin licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with the hiring agency on its education and academy requirements.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 4 schools
within 233 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
4 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What Detectives and Criminal Investigators Earn in Milwaukee
Detectives and Criminal Investigators in the Milwaukee area earn a median $92,910 per year, below the national median of $93,790 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Criminology Pay in Milwaukee, WI
Metric
Milwaukee metro
Wisconsin
National
Median annual wage
$92,910
$91,040
$93,790
10th percentile
$72,220
$70,060
$55,390
25th percentile
$92,910
$78,700
$69,330
75th percentile
$98,830
$97,120
$120,520
90th percentile
$142,330
$103,130
$160,540
Employment
550
1,640
114,430
Location quotient
0.91
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Milwaukee median of $92,910 is below the national median of $93,790, and above the Wisconsin statewide median of $91,040 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.91 means detectives and criminal investigators are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Investigative and analyst employment tracks agency size, so state capitals and large metros with federal field offices carry most of the roles.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do detectives and criminal investigators make in Milwaukee?
The median annual wage for detectives and criminal investigators in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area is $92,910, below the national median of $93,790 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many detectives and criminal investigators work in the Milwaukee area?
The Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area employs about 550 detectives and criminal investigators (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do detectives and criminal investigators in Milwaukee need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Criminology itself is not licensed. Sworn investigative roles run through a law enforcement academy and agency hiring process, which the degree does not replace; analyst roles in agencies and research settings weight the methods and statistics coursework. Confirm current requirements with the hiring agency on its education and academy requirements.
Can I study criminology online from Milwaukee?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies the hiring agency on its education and academy requirements.
Is Milwaukee a better market than the rest of Wisconsin?
The Milwaukee metro median is $92,910 against a statewide median of $91,040 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Detectives and Criminal Investigators (SOC 33-3021), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
