Salary of Crime Scene Investigator
Average Salary & Wages of CSIs

Need a career change? How about a stable career in criminal justice? Learn the average salary of crime scene investigator jobs & wages of criminal investigators

The wages of crime scene investigators is a difficult number to pin down for several reasons.

The biggest of which: there is no such position as a crime scene investigator.�

This title, as popularized by a number of modern television shows, actually refers to an entire group of scientists, officers, and technicians that work to analyze crime scenes and evidence to produce results toward the closing of a case.

So, in fact, a crime scene investigator could be a reference to a latent fingerprint analyst, a medical examiner, or even a technician whose duties are dedicated to the investigation of discarded firearms and ammunition.

In that regard, it's impossible to say just what the average salary of crime scene investigator jobs might be.

If, on the other hand, you were curious as to the salary of forensic scientist workers, or forensic biologists, or even the crime lab director, then there are some concrete answers to be found.

Below, we'll talk a little bit about the state of wages of crime scene investigators & then go over the average salary of crime scene investigator jobs in a variety of fields.

What is the Salary of Crime Scene Investigator Jobs?

Like a lot of government employees, the wages of criminal investigators covers a wide range--from just a few dollars over minimum wage for certain low-level technicians to over two hundred thousand dollars a year for chief medical examiners.

But while you may not be starting out in the six-figure salary bracket, it is likely that if you take your career seriously and are motivated to do your best, you can progress up the ranks to a position that pays extraordinarily well.

As long as you are aware that you won't start at the top of the pecking order, then you won't be crushed by the reality of the situation: government employees don't getting paid like rock stars.

But don't let that discourage you!

A career in criminal justice is stable, secure, and has great benefits!

Take a look at some of the jobs of crime scene investigators below and how they are getting paid. Put in the effort and have the persistence, and you could be making that much, too!

Salary of Crime Scene Investigator Jobs: By Position

Here's a look at the salaries of several crime scene investigator positions.

Bear in mind that this by no means covers all of the jobs of crime scene investigators. That is a very long list that can be further explored by simple Internet research.

The following is simply a look at the average salary of criminal investigators employed in select positions.

  • Chief Medical Examiner - $145,000 to $232,000 per year
  • Crime Lab Analyst 1 - $16.75 to $21.44 per hour
  • Crime Scene Analyst - $31.87 to $36.49 per hour
  • Crime Lab Director - $58,000 to $76,000 per year
  • Firearms Examiner - $2,000 to $5,000 per month
  • Forensic Biologist - $46,000 to $64,000 per year
  • Forensic Print Analyst - $45,000 to $67,000
  • Forensic Scientist - $35,000 to $52,000 per year
  • Latent Print Technician - $33,000 to $50,000 per year
  • Toxicologist - $6,000 per month

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