Average Criminal Investigator Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Criminal Investigator salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Criminal Investigator Make in United States?

A Criminal Investigator working in United States will typically earn around 105,200 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 57,800 USD to the highest average salary of 158,900 USD.

Average Annual Salary
105,200 USD
Average Monthly Salary
8,766 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
57,800 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
4,816 USD

Highest Annual Salary
158,900 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
13,241 USD

These are average salaries for a Criminal Investigator in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Criminal Investigator to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Criminal Investigator salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Criminal Investigator Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries a Criminal Investigator will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Criminal Investigator can earn between 57,800 USD and 158,900 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Criminal Investigator in United States is 96,600 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 96,600 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 96,600 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Criminal Investigator salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 70,000 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 70,000 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 115,600 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 115,600 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Criminal Investigator Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average criminal investigator salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Criminal Investigator in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 64,200 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Criminal Investigator salary would increase to 84,200 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Criminal Investigator, the average salary would be 109,700 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 127,600 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Criminal Investigator with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 140,200 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Criminal Investigator with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 151,800 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
64,200 USD
2-5 Years +26%
84,200 USD
5-10 Years +32%
109,700 USD
10-15 Years +18%
127,600 USD
15-20 Years +11%
140,200 USD
20+ Years +6%
151,800 USD

Criminal Investigator Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Criminal Investigator in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Criminal Investigator in United States with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 92,000 USD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Criminal Investigator in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 134,700 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Certificate or Diploma
92,000 USD
Bachelor's Degree +49%
134,700 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Criminal Investigator Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male criminal investigator will earn an average of 107,700 USD, while a female criminal investigator will earn around 103,600 USD.

This means that a male criminal investigator earns approximately 4% more than a female criminal investigator for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
107,700 USD
Female -4%
103,600 USD

Criminal Investigator Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Criminal Investigator in United States is around 9% every 19 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 9 ÷ 19 ) × 12  = 6%

What this means is that a Criminal Investigator in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 6% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Criminal Investigator Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Criminal Investigator is a low bonus based job, with 27% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

73% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 2%.

Received Bonus
27%
No Bonus
73%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Criminal Investigator

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Criminal Investigator in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Accreditation Coordinator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 79,600 USD
Accreditation Manager Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 114,300 USD
Advocate Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 69,800 USD
Armed Security Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 68,200 USD
Company Guard Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 34,000 USD
Control Room Operator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 32,200 USD
Correctional Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 53,300 USD
Facility Monitor Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 60,600 USD
Fire Chief Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 100,700 USD
Fire Dispatcher Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 49,700 USD
Fire Education Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 88,500 USD
Fire Extinguisher Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 31,800 USD
Fire Fighter Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 54,100 USD
Fire Inspector Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 103,600 USD
Fire Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 93,600 USD
Fire Prevention Engineer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 89,400 USD
Fire Prevention Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 72,800 USD
Fire Protection Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 88,400 USD
Forensic Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 95,300 USD
Forensic Science Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 99,700 USD
Fraud and Forensic Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 100,700 USD
Fraud Examiner Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 107,700 USD
Grants Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 127,700 USD
Intellectual Property Associate Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 88,600 USD
Intelligence Research Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 153,800 USD
Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 100,700 USD
Jail Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 45,000 USD
Juvenile Probation Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 69,700 USD
Juvenile Supervision Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 72,700 USD
Lock-Smith Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 29,100 USD
Parole Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 50,000 USD
Police Captain Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 124,500 USD
Police Communications Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 76,000 USD
Police Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 54,900 USD
Police Patrol Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 51,400 USD
Prison Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 43,800 USD
Prisoner Custody Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 35,300 USD
Private Detective / Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 102,700 USD
Security Adviser Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 95,200 USD
Security Guard Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 26,900 USD
Security Management Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 142,100 USD
Security Manager Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 147,900 USD
Security Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 33,300 USD
Security Supervisor Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 80,300 USD
Security Systems Installer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 79,000 USD
Security Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 30,200 USD
Surveillance Operator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 39,600 USD
Traffic Controller Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 58,600 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 105,200 USD
Austin 121,800 USD
Baltimore 111,700 USD
Boston 111,700 USD
Bristol 92,200 USD
Chicago 127,700 USD
Cincinnati 95,600 USD
Cleveland 99,700 USD
Dallas 124,500 USD
Denver 111,700 USD
Detroit 114,900 USD
Honolulu 89,900 USD
Houston 127,600 USD
Indianapolis 118,900 USD
Iowa City 89,300 USD
Jacksonville 114,900 USD
Kansas City 107,300 USD
Kent 90,600 USD
Las Vegas 105,800 USD
Long Beach 95,900 USD
Los Angeles 132,000 USD
Memphis 107,300 USD
Miami 98,000 USD
Minneapolis 95,200 USD
New Orleans 95,400 USD
New York 132,000 USD
Oakland 94,000 USD
Oklahoma City 107,300 USD
Orlando 88,700 USD
Philadelphia 118,900 USD
Phoenix 121,800 USD
Sacramento 100,900 USD
San Antonio 123,800 USD
San Diego 128,200 USD
San Francisco 123,000 USD
San Jose 123,800 USD
Seattle 109,700 USD
Tampa 94,300 USD
Vancouver 86,800 USD
Washington D.C. 109,700 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 114,600 USD
Alaska 98,900 USD
Arizona 118,900 USD
Arkansas 108,200 USD
California 127,700 USD
Colorado 114,900 USD
Connecticut 111,700 USD
Delaware 105,200 USD
District of Columbia 94,100 USD
Florida 116,400 USD
Georgia 114,900 USD
Hawaii 99,100 USD
Idaho 99,600 USD
Illinois 114,300 USD
Indiana 112,700 USD
Iowa 105,200 USD
Kansas 105,200 USD
Kentucky 109,000 USD
Louisiana 109,000 USD
Maine 98,300 USD
Maryland 114,600 USD
Massachusetts 114,900 USD
Michigan 117,100 USD
Minnesota 112,700 USD
Mississippi 107,300 USD
Missouri 114,900 USD
Montana 103,600 USD
Nebraska 105,800 USD
Nevada 109,000 USD
New Hampshire 105,200 USD
New Jersey 121,800 USD
New Mexico 109,000 USD
New York 128,200 USD
North Carolina 112,700 USD
North Dakota 91,600 USD
Ohio 114,900 USD
Oklahoma 105,200 USD
Oregon 105,200 USD
Pennsylvania 114,300 USD
Rhode Island 95,500 USD
South Carolina 109,000 USD
South Dakota 98,100 USD
Tennessee 114,600 USD
Texas 121,800 USD
Utah 102,700 USD
Vermont 97,200 USD
Virginia 115,600 USD
Washington 114,300 USD
West Virginia 105,200 USD
Wisconsin 114,900 USD
Wyoming 97,400 USD

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