What is the Entry-Level Salary of Crime Scene Investigators?
Being a crime scene investigator may not be the glamorous job portrayed on television series such as "CSI," but it is a challenging field that applies rigorous scientific methods to criminal investigations. Crime scene investigators, formally known as forensic scientists, collect and analyze physical evidence from crime scenes. They also report their findings to police investigators and provide expert testimony in court. The field of forensic science encompasses a wide range of specialties and job titles, making it difficult to precisely estimate average starting salaries.
Other People Are Reading
-
Identification
-
The International Crime Scene Investigators Association, based in Illinois, estimated that starting salaries for crime scene investigators ranged from $20,000 to $50,000 a year as of 2006. Factors such as geographic location, education and training influence a new investigator's starting salary, the association reported.
Geography
-
The website InsidePrison.com published average wages for a wide range of forensic scientist jobs, including crime lab analyst, crime scene technician and criminalist. The website suggested that starting salaries vary by agency and geographic location. It reported that crime scene technicians in an Arizona sheriff's department earned about $27,000 a year to start, while forensic investigators in Massachusetts earned starting salaries of $30,000.
-
Types
-
Entry-level forensic science jobs include crime scene technician and crime lab analyst. InsidePrison.com reported that average wages for these jobs ranged from $16.75 to $22 an hour.
Considerations
-
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in a report on science technicians, did not report starting salaries, but stated that forensic specialists earned median hourly wages of nearly $24. Based on a 40-hour workweek, this translates to a yearly salary of more than $49,000.
Potential
-
Experienced crime scene investigators can advance to higher-paying positions, such as crime lab director. The InsidePrison website reported that crime lab directors earn annual salaries ranging from $58,000 to $76,000.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images
