The Salary of a Criminal Investigator
When a crime has been committed, a criminal investigator carries out the investigation. As law enforcement personnel, criminal investigators determine if there's sufficient evidence to recommend prosecution. If you are interested in becoming a criminal investigator, then figure out how much you could earn on the job.
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National Salary
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the mean hourly wage for detectives and criminal investigators was $31.66 and the median annual wage was $65,860 in May 2009.
Education
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PayScale.com indicates how college degrees can impact the overall salary of a criminal investigator. In September 2010, investigators with a criminal justice degree had a salary that ranged from $43,576 to $82,445; those with bachelor of science degrees in criminal justice ranged from $36,625 to $60,398; those with a general bachelor of science degree ranged from $55,000 to $88,767; and those with a BA degree ranged from $38,421 to $60,000.
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Top Employment
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In May 2009, the greatest number of detectives and criminal investigators were employed by local governments, with an annual mean wage of $61,230, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Other sectors that employed high numbers of detectives and criminal investigators included: the Federal Executive Branch at $75,390, state governments at $54,940, the Postal Service at $88,170, and colleges, universities and professional schools at $61,820.
Specific Employers
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PayScale.com focuses on specific employers that hire criminal investigators. In September 2010, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had a salary that ranged from $80,000 to $105,000; the U.S. Air Force from $49,500 to $70,258; and the New York City Police Department from $76,000 to $88,130.
Top-Paying States
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In May 2009, the highest pay for detectives criminal investigators was in the District of Columbia with an annual mean wage of $94,620, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. States that offered high pay included New Jersey at $85,930, California at $80,140, Delaware at $77,960 and Maryland at $77,910.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit crime examination (investigation) image by stassad from Fotolia.com
