The Average Salary of a Forensic Investigator
Forensic investigator jobs are always in high demand. As long as there are people in the world committing crimes, there will be a need for forensic investigators. If you have been looking for a job in criminal justice that can truly excite on a daily basis, this is a great choice to keep in mind. Before you can do that though, you need to make sure you know how much you are going to make in the career. Here is a look at the money you might make as a forensic investigator, courtesy of PayScale.com.
Salary by Years of Experience
Your experience in the field will make a big difference in the kind of employers that want to work with you. The more experience you have, the more money you will have a chance to make. The salary statistics below highlight the average earnings for forensic investigators based on experience:
- Less than 1 year: $12,208 – $61,042 per year
- 1-4 years: $29,409 – $80,407 per year
- 5-9 years: $30,685 – $94,996 per year
- 10-19 years: $38,129 – $104,482 per year
- 20+ years: $40,498 – $129,754 per year
Salary by Degree
You will need some kind of degree in order to become a forensic investigator. There are several to choose from, and they all have different pay rates associated with them. You may want to explore your options before settling into one specific education program. The salary statistics below highlight the average earnings for forensic investigators based on education:
- Associate’s Degree: $32,681 – $68,658 per year
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice: $29,851 – $128,466 per year
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology: $52,000 – $117,500 per year
- Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice: $31,152 – $117,586 per year
- Master of Science in Criminal Justice: $50,868 – $80,576 per year
Salary by Location
Some states have more crimes than others, and those states usually need forensic investigators more than others. If you can work in a state with a high demand for your services, you will have the best chance of making a good living. The salary statistics below highlight the average earnings for forensic investigators based on location:
- California: $30,000 – $128,886 per year
- Florida: $36,766 – $109,616 per year
- Georgia: $29,590 – $62,551 per year
- Louisiana: $20,608 – $72,719 per year
- New York: $44,698 – $110,738 per year
- North Carolina: $32,215 – $89,396 per year
- Texas: $33,728 – $103,309 per year
Salary by Employer Type
Have you thought about where you want to work yet? If not, now may be a good time to start. The salary statistics below highlight the average earnings for forensic investigators based on employer:
- Company: $28,436 – $61,445 per year
- State and Local Government: $31,328 – $87,315 per year
- Private Practice: $29,479 – $75,285 per year
- Federal Government: $36,701 – $127,040 per year
Salary by Company Size
The size of the company you work for ay not have a direct impact on your salary, but it may be nice to look over the salaries for people in different sized companies. This will just let you know if your pay is on the right track. The salary statistics below highlight the average earnings for forensic investigators based on company size:
- <50: $30,767 - $70,163 per year
- 50-199: $31,701 – $80,289 per year
- 200-599: $36,444 – $114,144 per year
- 600-1999: $41,110 – $83,794 per year
- 2000-4999: $39,818 – $127,943 per year
- 5000-19999: $52,758 – $129,584 per year
- 20000-49999: $75,000 – $91,563 per year
- 50000+: $52,704 – $108,000 per year
Assess the charts above carefully, and you should be able to use them to approximate your pay in the future.



