How Much Does a Criminal Investigator Make a Year?
Criminal investigators work in either the public or private sector. Examples of those in the public sector are police criminal investigators --- also called police detectives --- and Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents. Those in the private sector are typically private investigators who specialize in criminal investigations. Annual salaries for criminal investigators vary depending on the region, years of experience and any specialized training or advanced degrees.
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Public and Private Criminal Investigators
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Criminal investigators might work in the public sector as law enforcement investigators or government special agents. Within the private sector, a private investigator may specialize in criminal investigations. Public criminal investigators earn annual salaries and are often eligible for bonuses. Government criminal investigators, such as FBI special agents, also earn locality and availability fees. Private criminal investigators may earn an annual salary if employed by an agency; otherwise, they typically charge an hourly rate.
Police Criminal Investigators
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As of May 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS, reports that the nationwide annual mean wage for a criminal investigator is $65,860, with those in the middle 50 percent earning $62,110. In comparison, PayScale reports that January 2011 annual salaries for criminal investigators are $40,603 to $77,606, which may include bonuses from $943 to $5,008 and profit-sharing from $491.32 to $2,543. Earnings vary depending on region, job classification and experience.
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Government Criminal Investigators
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Typically, government criminal investigators, such as FBI special agents, earn higher annual salaries than their counterparts in local law enforcement. For example, a new FBI special agent starts with a base salary of $44, 441 --- add locality and availability pay, and the first-year annual salary ranges from $61,110 to $69,990, depending on the region and city of assignment. A new agent may also receive a one-time relocation payment of approximately $22,000.
Private Investigators
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According to PayScale, as of January 2011 private investigators earn an annual salary of $25,434 to $69,082, depending on years of experience. For example, a private investigator with one year or less experience earns $25,434 to $36,634. At the higher end, an investigator with 10 to 19 years of experience earns $39,611 to $69,708, and with 20 or more years experience, $36,480 to $69,082. If a private investigator has a background in local or federal investigations or advanced training in investigative techniques, he might earn more than these annual figures.
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References
- Photo Credit crime examination (investigation) image by stassad from Fotolia.com
