What are the main factors that influence a Forensics Investigator's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Forensics Investigator's salary?

A Forensics Investigator's salary grows with experience: starting around $72,289 for beginners, reaching about $73,984 at mid-level, and approach $81,488 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Forensics Investigator?

Forensics Investigator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Forensics Investigator roles are District of Columbia $86,548, California $86,220, Massachusetts $85,071. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Forensics Investigator roles make?

Salaries for Forensics Investigator level roles vary by specialization: Computer Forensics Analyst IV: $174,765; Computer Forensics Analyst III: $144,555; Computer Forensics Analyst II: $124,955; Computer Forensics Analyst I: $102,432; Forensics Examiner: $84,520.

Forensics Investigator Salary in the United States

How much does a Forensics Investigator make in the United States? As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Forensics Investigator in the United States is $78,169 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

However, a Forensics Investigator's salary can vary significantly. Here's a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $101,000
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $70,143 to $90,120
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $62,835

10% $62,835

50% (Median) $78,169

90% $101,000

Forensics Investigator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$90,120	$7,510	$1,733	$43
Average	$78,169	$6,514	$1,503	$38
25th Percentile	$70,143	$5,845	$1,349	$34

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Key Factors That Influence Forensics Investigator Salaries

A Forensics Investigator's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Forensics Investigator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Forensics Investigator's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $72,289
Early Career (1-2 years): $72,854
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $73,984
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $77,671
Expert (over 8 years): $81,488

Job Role	Years of Experience	Average Salary
Entry Level Forensics Investigator	less than 1 year	$72,289
Early Career Level Forensics Investigator	1-2 years	$72,854
Mid-Level Level Forensics Investigator	2-4 years	$73,984
Senior-Level Level Forensics Investigator	5-8 years	$77,671
Expert Level Forensics Investigator	over 8 years	$81,488

How Do Forensics Investigator Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Forensics Investigators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $86,548.
California: $86,220.
Massachusetts: $85,071.

District of Columbia $86,548 California $86,220 Massachusetts $85,071 Washington $84,758 New Jersey $84,727 Alaska $84,618 Connecticut $83,539 New York $83,101

Hawaii $81,702 Rhode Island $81,045 Maryland $80,600 Minnesota $79,990 Colorado $79,755 Illinois $79,677 Oregon $79,380 Delaware $79,161

New Hampshire $79,024 Virginia $78,716 Pennsylvania $77,817 Nevada $77,363 North Dakota $77,215 Michigan $76,980 Wisconsin $76,894 Vermont $76,722

Texas $76,246 Maine $76,214 Arizona $76,167 Ohio $76,113 Georgia $75,394 Indiana $75,034 Wyoming $74,964 Utah $74,854

Iowa $74,807 Kansas $74,432 Louisiana $74,323 North Carolina $74,284 Missouri $74,268 Florida $73,963 Montana $73,799 Nebraska $73,643

Kentucky $73,557 South Carolina $73,244 Tennessee $73,049 Idaho $72,970 New Mexico $72,400 Oklahoma $72,275 Alabama $71,813 South Dakota $71,040

Arkansas $70,618 West Virginia $70,391 Mississippi $69,711

Top Paying Cities for Forensics Investigator

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $98,594
San Francisco: $97,515
Oakland: $95,459

San Jose, CA $98,594

San Francisco, CA $97,515

Oakland, CA $95,459

New York, NY $90,003

Paramus, NJ $88,908

Queens Village, NY $88,904

Passaic, NJ $88,830

Bergenfield, NJ $88,823

Stamford, CT $88,651

Huntington, NY $88,619

Newark, NJ $88,041

Bridgeport, CT $87,876

Vallejo, CA $87,721

New Brunswick, NJ $87,690

Petaluma, CA $87,643

Middlesex, NJ $87,494

Somerset, NJ $87,439

Santa Cruz, CA $87,338

Boston, MA $86,861

Monterey, CA $86,587

Seattle, WA $86,408

Santa Rosa, CA $86,392

Los Angeles, CA $86,368

Juneau, AK $86,165

Washington, DC $86,079

Orange, CA $85,801

Santa Ana, CA $85,595

Long Beach, CA $85,516

Anaheim, CA $85,501

Anchorage, AK $85,462

Santa Maria, CA $85,227

Everett, WA $85,212

Danbury, CT $84,936

Bremerton, WA $84,829

Tacoma, WA $84,547

New Suffolk, NY $84,546

Sacramento, CA $84,524

Santa Barbara, CA $84,438

San Diego, CA $84,352

Trenton, NJ $84,352

Brockton, MA $84,266

Fairbanks, AK $84,074

Lompoc, CA $83,875

Lowell, MA $83,812

Ventura, CA $83,797

Nashua, NH $83,781

Stockton, CA $83,773

Modesto, CA $83,203

Poughkeepsie, NY $83,031

Olympia, WA $82,882

Kennewick, WA $82,882

New Haven, CT $82,851

Lawrence, MA $82,569

Hartford, CT $82,491

Riverside, CA $82,476

New Bedford, MA $82,398

Richland, WA $82,398

Bakersfield, CA $82,288

San Bernardino, CA $82,257

New Britain, CT $82,249

Atlantic City, NJ $82,249

New London, CT $82,218

Norwich, CT $82,194

Portsmouth, NH $82,179

Boulder, CO $82,013

Portland, OR $81,905

Worcester, MA $81,897

Minneapolis, MN $81,655

Philadelphia, PA $81,545

Honolulu, HI $81,288

Saint Paul, MN $81,250

Vineland, NJ $81,233

Providence, RI $81,006

Chicago, IL $80,779

Bellingham, WA $80,686

Springfield, MA $80,623

Baltimore, MD $80,600

Chico, CA $80,404

Pittsfield, MA $80,193

Manchester, NH $80,045

Spokane, WA $79,701

Denver, CO $79,693

Albany, NY $79,325

Troy, NY $79,294

Nassau, NY $79,211

Schenectady, NY $79,130

Wilmington, DE $79,068

Burlington, VT $78,958

Salem, OR $78,927

Portland, ME $78,685

Yakima, WA $78,606

Rochester, MN $78,364

Reno, NV $78,325

Fresno, CA $78,325

Milwaukee, WI $78,255

Detroit, MI $78,176

Ann Arbor, MI $78,163

Allentown, PA $78,153

Colorado Springs, CO $78,020

Syracuse, NY $77,981

Carson City, NV $77,981

Houston, TX $77,872

Eugene, OR $77,832

Gary, IN $77,739

Springfield, OR $77,676

Bismarck, ND $77,661

Galveston, TX $77,606

Medford, OR $77,489

Fort Collins, CO $77,457

Concord, NH $77,418

Austin, TX $77,395

Mesa, AZ $77,231

Reading, PA $77,223

Phoenix, AZ $77,215

Dallas, TX $77,191

Saint Cloud, MN $77,116

Madison, WI $77,012

Utica, NY $76,801

Rochester, NY $76,676

Des Moines, IA $76,668

Raleigh, NC $76,660

Atlanta, GA $76,543

Battle Creek, MI $76,519

Salt Lake City, UT $76,496

Lancaster, PA $76,379

Harrisburg, PA $76,269

Kansas City, MO $76,191

Kansas City, KS $76,175

Champaign, IL $76,175

Fort Worth, TX $76,167

Columbus, OH $76,154

Boca Raton, FL $76,136

Pittsburgh, PA $76,105

Richmond, VA $76,074

Indianapolis, IN $76,058

Cleveland, OH $76,050

Las Vegas, NV $75,956

Cincinnati, OH $75,956

Petersburg, VA $75,839

Huntsville, AL $75,722

Lansing, MI $75,670

Lebanon, PA $75,659

Pueblo, CO $75,652

Appleton, WI $75,628

Buffalo, NY $75,597

Dayton, OH $75,573

Racine, WI $75,558

Charlotte, NC $75,550

Saint Louis, MO $75,527

York, PA $75,480

Elkhart, IN $75,480

Gastonia, NC $75,465

Billings, MT $75,446

Beaumont, TX $75,425

Lorain, OH $75,409

Benton Harbor, MI $75,394

Toledo, OH $75,378

Binghamton, NY $75,339

Rock Hill, SC $75,331

Rockford, IL $75,292

Springfield, IL $75,261

Elyria, OH $75,253

Fargo, ND $75,253

Flagstaff, AZ $75,198

Fort Lauderdale, FL $75,151

Duluth, MN $75,104

Miami, FL $75,104

Grand Forks, ND $75,050

Cheyenne, WY $75,050

Bangor, ME $74,878

Cedar Rapids, IA $74,792

Durham, NC $74,759

Louisville, KY $74,753

Grand Rapids, MI $74,737

Hialeah, FL $74,729

Casper, WY $74,620

Scranton, PA $74,526

New Orleans, LA $74,502

Virginia Beach, VA $74,495

Akron, OH $74,456

Peoria, IL $74,354

Sarasota, FL $74,338

Nashville, TN $74,284

Omaha, NE $74,284

Green Bay, WI $74,284

Baton Rouge, LA $74,245

Charleston, SC $74,229

Davenport, IA $74,190

Jamestown, NY $74,190

Tucson, AZ $74,151

Saint Petersburg, FL $74,104

Tampa, FL $74,088

Evansville, IN $74,041

Port Arthur, TX $74,041

Bradenton, FL $74,010

Santa Fe, NM $73,869

Orlando, FL $73,729

Clearwater, FL $73,705

La Crosse, WI $73,541

Canton, OH $73,541

Albuquerque, NM $73,494

Newport News, VA $73,486

High Point, NC $73,463

Ogden, UT $73,432

Corpus Christi, TX $73,369

Norfolk, VA $73,322

Laramie, WY $73,322

Rock Island, IL $73,275

Saginaw, MI $73,260

Jacksonville, FL $73,252

Salisbury, NC $73,236

Boise, ID $73,221

Moline, IL $73,181

Fort Myers, FL $73,158

Memphis, TN $73,142

Tulsa, OK $73,103

Waterloo, IA $73,056

Spartanburg, SC $72,978

Lincoln, NE $72,939

Fort Wayne, IN $72,923

Provo, UT $72,916

Cedar Falls, IA $72,822

San Antonio, TX $72,791

Greensboro, NC $72,759

South Bend, IN $72,752

Savannah, GA $72,666

Muskegon, MI $72,634

Birmingham, AL $72,626

Winston Salem, NC $72,588

Lake Charles, LA $72,400

Anderson, IN $72,384

Lexington, KY $72,361

Augusta, GA $72,337

Greenville, SC $72,337

Lima, OH $72,275

Wichita, KS $72,267

Tuscaloosa, AL $72,267

Columbia, SC $72,197

Springfield, OH $72,181

Asheville, NC $72,056

Bloomington, IN $72,001

Knoxville, TN $71,720

Shreveport, LA $71,712

Wilmington, NC $71,610

Roanoke, VA $71,610

Topeka, KS $71,470

Frankfort, KY $71,461

Oklahoma City, OK $71,407

Chillicothe, OH $71,376

Longview, TX $71,368

Melbourne, FL $71,360

Sioux Falls, SD $71,235

Mobile, AL $71,227

Terre Haute, IN $71,196

Altoona, PA $71,149

Amarillo, TX $71,094

Killeen, TX $71,071

Fayetteville, AR $71,008

Chattanooga, TN $70,985

Sioux City, IA $70,915

Idaho Falls, ID $70,899

Lynchburg, VA $70,836

Gainesville, FL $70,735

Portsmouth, OH $70,696

Little Rock, AR $70,680

Lafayette, LA $70,649

Youngstown, OH $70,649

Daytona Beach, FL $70,602

Clarksville, TN $70,594

Pensacola, FL $70,586

Temple, TX $70,581

Hopkinsville, KY $70,352

Erie, PA $70,336

Florence, SC $70,305

Charleston, WV $70,180

Great Falls, MT $70,141

Macon, GA $70,031

Tallahassee, FL $70,023

Fayetteville, NC $70,008

Waco, TX $69,992

Helena, MT $69,937

Pine Bluff, AR $69,908

Vincennes, IN $69,812

Lubbock, TX $69,781

Alamogordo, NM $69,734

Twin Falls, ID $69,664

Rapid City, SD $69,640

Jackson, MS $69,500

Huntington, WV $69,494

Greenville, MS $69,492

Parkersburg, WV $69,412

Montgomery, AL $69,398

Wichita Falls, TX $69,320

Springfield, MO $69,320

Biloxi, MS $69,281

Monroe, LA $69,203

Johnstown, PA $69,148

Sumter, SC $69,117

Columbus, GA $69,109

Pascagoula, MS $68,960

Abilene, TX $68,960

Kingsport, TN $68,757

Albany, GA $68,757

Gulfport, MS $68,734

Alexandria, LA $68,476

Fort Smith, AR $68,280

El Paso, TX $68,069

Las Cruces, NM $67,717

Harlingen, TX $67,519

Pocatello, ID $67,506

Florence, AL $67,405

Brownsville, TX $67,389

Mcallen, TX $67,225

Dothan, AL $67,116

Columbus, MS $66,651

Altus, OK $66,287

Lawton, OK $66,138

Pierre, SD $65,857

Forensics Investigator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Forensics Investigator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

$70,143

Average $78,169/year

$90,120

$5,845

Average $6,514/month

$7,510

$1,349

Average $1,503/week

$1,733

$34

Average $38/hour

$43

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$90,120	$7,510	$1,733	$43
Average	$78,169	$6,514	$1,503	$38
25th Percentile	$70,143	$5,845	$1,349	$34

Salary Trends for Forensics Investigator

Salaries for a Forensics Investigator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $88,825 in 2023 to around $87,804 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Forensics Investigator salary trends, click here.

Average Annual Salary of Forensics Investigator Over Time

$???
$88,825
$88,695
$87,804
$???
$???

2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$88,825
2024	$88,695
2025	$87,804

Most common benefits for Forensics Investigator

Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Forensics Investigator

Here are companies hiring for Forensics Investigator and their salaries, click below for more details.

N $97,099/per year

New York Police Department Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

S $95,962/per year

State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

U $94,615/per year

US Department of Transportation Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

U $93,141/per year

US General Services Administration Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

L $92,342/per year

Los Angeles County Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

D $92,011/per year

Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

U $91,967/per year

US Department of Commerce Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

U $91,755/per year

US Department of Energy Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

F $91,673/per year

Federal Bureau of Investigation Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

N $90,276/per year

Naval Sea Systems Command Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

T $88,975/per year

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

S $88,721/per year

San Diego County Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

T $88,664/per year

The TTB Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

L $87,569/per year

Lutheran Services Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

M $85,066/per year

Maryland Inc Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

S $83,780/per year

State University of New York Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

N $82,969/per year

New York State Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

P $82,703/per year

Puerto Rico Department of Education Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

U $80,526/per year

US Central Command Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

H $80,286/per year

Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

A $79,270/per year

Air Force Reserve Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

A $78,505/per year

American Automobile Association (AAA) Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

S $76,678/per year

State of Florida - Department of Health Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

N $75,183/per year

New York State Department Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

S $75,106/per year

State University System of Florida Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit United States

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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Forensics Investigator Salary in the United States

Check out Forensics Investigator Job Openings in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Forensics Investigator Salaries

How Experience Level Affects Forensics Investigator Salaries?

How Do Forensics Investigator Salaries Vary from State to State?

Top Paying Cities for Forensics Investigator

Forensics Investigator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Salary Trends for Forensics Investigator

Average Annual Salary of Forensics Investigator Over Time

Most common benefits for Forensics Investigator

Common company salaries for Forensics Investigator

Find Your Next Forensics Investigator Job

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Forensics Investigator Salary in the United States

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Key Factors That Influence Forensics Investigator Salaries

How Experience Level Affects Forensics Investigator Salaries?

How Do Forensics Investigator Salaries Vary from State to State?

Top Paying Cities for Forensics Investigator

Forensics Investigator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Salaries of jobs related to Forensics Investigator

Salary Trends for Forensics Investigator

Average Annual Salary of Forensics Investigator Over Time

Most common benefits for Forensics Investigator

Common company salaries for Forensics Investigator

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