Sources: South Carolina Department of Administration, Division of State Human Resources, South Carolina Classified Pay Structure and State Job Classifications; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.
South Carolina state pay plan Sourced
Published rates for each class, lowest first. These are the ranges South Carolina sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.
| Class and grade | Published rate |
|---|---|
| Law Enforcement Investigator I Class JC05 · class description Grade LAW06 | $63,036 – $85,068 a year |
| Law Enforcement Investigator II Class JC06 · class description Grade LAW08 | $83,334 – $112,506 a year |
| Law Enforcement Investigator III Class JC07 · class description Grade LAW09 | $95,880 – $129,438 a year |
Schedule: Certified Law Enforcement Pay Structure (LAW). Rates are as the plan publishes them; "a year" figures are conversions. Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).
Source: South Carolina Department of Administration, Division of State Human Resources, South Carolina Classified Pay Structure and State Job Classifications. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Pay in South Carolina, all employers Sourced
Detectives and Criminal Investigators (SOC 33-3021) in South Carolina, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | SC |
|---|---|
| Workers | 1,470 |
| 10th percentile | $50,960 |
| Median | $62,760 |
| 90th percentile | $149,280 |
| 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 South Carolina
184 police departments in South Carolina.
47 sheriff's offices in South Carolina.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer — law-enforcement agencies by state (API). Data captured September 30, 2026.
More about this job
Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Detective / Criminal Investigator page.