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Job title · Alabama

Detective / Criminal Investigator in Alabama

Alabama State Personnel Department lists 4 job classes for this work in the Alabama state pay plan: Special Investigator, Special Investigator, SR, Special Agent, Senior Special Agent.

$40,099 – $109,982
state pay plan range, a year
4
classes in the state plan
$66,290
median pay in AL, all employers
1,340
workers in AL (SOC 33-3021)

Sources: Alabama State Personnel Department, Alabama Merit Semi-Monthly Compensation Plan (effective 09/01/2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Alabama state pay plan Sourced

Published rates for each class, lowest first, effective September 1, 2026. These are the ranges Alabama sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.

Class and gradePublished rate
Special Investigator
Class 60320
Grade 7173
$1,670.80 – $3,081.40 a half-month
$40,099 – $73,954 a year
26 steps
  • Step 01: $1,670.80 a half-month
  • Step 02: $1,711.70 a half-month
  • Step 03: $1,753.90 a half-month
  • Step 04: $1,798.20 a half-month
  • Step 05: $1,842.40 a half-month
  • Step 06: $1,889.70 a half-month
  • Step 07: $1,936.20 a half-month
  • Step 08: $1,983.60 a half-month
  • Step 09: $2,033.20 a half-month
  • Step 10: $2,082.80 a half-month
  • Step 11: $2,135.80 a half-month
  • Step 12: $2,188.80 a half-month
  • Step 13: $2,242.40 a half-month
  • Step 14: $2,297.20 a half-month
  • Step 15: $2,353.40 a half-month
  • Step 16: $2,410.90 a half-month
  • Step 17: $2,469.70 a half-month
  • Step 18: $2,531.80 a half-month
  • Step 19: $2,595.20 a half-month
  • Step 20: $2,660.70 a half-month
  • Step 21: $2,726.50 a half-month
  • Step 22: $2,793.40 a half-month
  • Step 23: $2,862.30 a half-month
  • Step 24: $2,933.00 a half-month
  • Step 25: $3,005.50 a half-month
  • Step 26: $3,081.40 a half-month
Special Investigator, SR
Class 60321
Grade 75
$2,033.20 – $3,405.20 a half-month
$48,797 – $81,725 a year
22 steps
  • Step 01: $2,033.20 a half-month
  • Step 02: $2,082.80 a half-month
  • Step 03: $2,135.80 a half-month
  • Step 04: $2,188.80 a half-month
  • Step 05: $2,242.40 a half-month
  • Step 06: $2,297.20 a half-month
  • Step 07: $2,353.40 a half-month
  • Step 08: $2,410.90 a half-month
  • Step 09: $2,469.70 a half-month
  • Step 10: $2,531.80 a half-month
  • Step 11: $2,595.20 a half-month
  • Step 12: $2,660.70 a half-month
  • Step 13: $2,726.50 a half-month
  • Step 14: $2,793.40 a half-month
  • Step 15: $2,862.30 a half-month
  • Step 16: $2,933.00 a half-month
  • Step 17: $3,005.50 a half-month
  • Step 18: $3,081.40 a half-month
  • Step 19: $3,157.60 a half-month
  • Step 20: $3,237.10 a half-month
  • Step 21: $3,320.10 a half-month
  • Step 22: $3,405.20 a half-month
Special Agent
Class 11280
Grade 7679
$2,135.80 – $4,152.90 a half-month
$51,259 – $99,670 a year
28 steps
  • Step 01: $2,135.80 a half-month
  • Step 02: $2,188.80 a half-month
  • Step 03: $2,242.40 a half-month
  • Step 04: $2,297.20 a half-month
  • Step 05: $2,353.40 a half-month
  • Step 06: $2,410.90 a half-month
  • Step 07: $2,469.70 a half-month
  • Step 08: $2,531.80 a half-month
  • Step 09: $2,595.20 a half-month
  • Step 10: $2,660.70 a half-month
  • Step 11: $2,726.50 a half-month
  • Step 12: $2,793.40 a half-month
  • Step 13: $2,862.30 a half-month
  • Step 14: $2,933.00 a half-month
  • Step 15: $3,005.50 a half-month
  • Step 16: $3,081.40 a half-month
  • Step 17: $3,157.60 a half-month
  • Step 18: $3,237.10 a half-month
  • Step 19: $3,320.10 a half-month
  • Step 20: $3,405.20 a half-month
  • Step 21: $3,493.30 a half-month
  • Step 22: $3,581.90 a half-month
  • Step 23: $3,670.30 a half-month
  • Step 24: $3,762.30 a half-month
  • Step 25: $3,859.50 a half-month
  • Step 26: $3,956.60 a half-month
  • Step 27: $4,053.70 a half-month
  • Step 28: $4,152.90 a half-month
Senior Special Agent
Class 11284
Grade 81
$2,726.50 – $4,582.60 a half-month
$65,436 – $109,982 a year
22 steps
  • Step 01: $2,726.50 a half-month
  • Step 02: $2,793.40 a half-month
  • Step 03: $2,862.30 a half-month
  • Step 04: $2,933.00 a half-month
  • Step 05: $3,005.50 a half-month
  • Step 06: $3,081.40 a half-month
  • Step 07: $3,157.60 a half-month
  • Step 08: $3,237.10 a half-month
  • Step 09: $3,320.10 a half-month
  • Step 10: $3,405.20 a half-month
  • Step 11: $3,493.30 a half-month
  • Step 12: $3,581.90 a half-month
  • Step 13: $3,670.30 a half-month
  • Step 14: $3,762.30 a half-month
  • Step 15: $3,859.50 a half-month
  • Step 16: $3,956.60 a half-month
  • Step 17: $4,053.70 a half-month
  • Step 18: $4,152.90 a half-month
  • Step 19: $4,257.20 a half-month
  • Step 20: $4,363.30 a half-month
  • Step 21: $4,470.80 a half-month
  • Step 22: $4,582.60 a half-month

Schedule: Merit Semi-Monthly Compensation Plan, semi-monthly step rates. Rates are as the plan publishes them; "a year" figures are conversions. Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).

Source: Alabama State Personnel Department, Alabama Merit Semi-Monthly Compensation Plan (effective 09/01/2026). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Pay in Alabama, all employers Sourced

Detectives and Criminal Investigators (SOC 33-3021) in Alabama, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.

MeasureAL
Workers1,340
10th percentile$43,060
Median$66,290
90th percentile$150,780
National median, government employers$93,790

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Employers in Alabama

314 police departments in Alabama.

67 sheriff's offices in Alabama.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer — law-enforcement agencies by state (API). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Free practice tests for Alabama

Source: Open Exam Prep, Open Exam Prep free practice tests. Data captured October 1, 2026. Each link was opened and its exam title checked on the date shown.

More about this job

Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Detective / Criminal Investigator page.

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