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Best states for an investigative analyst
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become an investigative analyst at Guidehouse, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for investigative analysts that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research found that Montana is the best state for investigative analysts, while Montana and Louisiana are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Montana has a median salary of $149,943 and Montana has the highest median salary among all 50 states for investigative analysts.
In order to get you the best states for investigative analysts, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that Montana is the best state for investigative analyst jobs, whereas North Carolina is the worst.
10 best states for investigative analysts in 2025
1. Montana
Total investigative analyst jobs: 69 Average annual salary: $149,943 Lowest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $179,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
2. Alaska
Total investigative analyst jobs: 70 Average annual salary: $131,879 Lowest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
3. Hawaii
Total investigative analyst jobs: 97 Average annual salary: $146,152 Lowest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 1.82
4. Maryland
Total investigative analyst jobs: 550 Average annual salary: $139,481 Lowest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
5. Oregon
Total investigative analyst jobs: 303 Average annual salary: $131,988 Lowest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
6. Louisiana
Total investigative analyst jobs: 152 Average annual salary: $149,263 Lowest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
7. District of Columbia
Total investigative analyst jobs: 209 Average annual salary: $141,550 Lowest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 1.96
8. Washington
Total investigative analyst jobs: 474 Average annual salary: $129,016 Lowest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
9. Michigan
Total investigative analyst jobs: 502 Average annual salary: $121,233 Lowest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
10. South Dakota
Total investigative analyst jobs: 25 Average annual salary: $145,789 Lowest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 0.37
Investigative analyst jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an investigative analyst
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an investigative analyst
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | $149,943 | $125,000 | 1,050,493 | 69 |
| 2 | Alaska | $131,879 | $116,000 | 739,795 | 70 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $146,152 | $124,000 | 1,427,538 | 97 |
| 4 | Maryland | $139,481 | $116,000 | 6,052,177 | 550 |
| 5 | Oregon | $131,988 | $109,000 | 4,142,776 | 303 |
| 6 | Louisiana | $149,263 | $123,000 | 4,684,333 | 152 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $141,550 | $118,000 | 693,972 | 209 |
| 8 | Washington | $129,016 | $108,000 | 7,405,743 | 474 |
| 9 | Michigan | $121,233 | $101,000 | 9,962,311 | 502 |
| 10 | South Dakota | $145,789 | $122,000 | 869,666 | 25 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $121,505 | $100,000 | 2,088,070 | 95 |
| 12 | Vermont | $126,711 | $107,000 | 623,657 | 32 |
| 13 | Illinois | $122,228 | $101,000 | 12,802,023 | 690 |
| 14 | Nevada | $120,610 | $99,000 | 2,998,039 | 106 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $119,434 | $99,000 | 579,315 | 28 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $123,330 | $103,000 | 3,588,184 | 196 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $113,268 | $94,000 | 1,920,076 | 205 |
| 18 | Missouri | $113,846 | $94,000 | 6,113,532 | 590 |
| 19 | Texas | $117,918 | $97,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,031 |
| 20 | California | $123,822 | $101,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,935 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $112,738 | $94,000 | 12,805,537 | 909 |
| 22 | Virginia | $116,481 | $97,000 | 8,470,020 | 854 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $116,995 | $98,000 | 755,393 | 35 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $122,521 | $103,000 | 6,859,819 | 411 |
| 25 | Utah | $113,095 | $93,000 | 3,101,833 | 229 |
| 26 | Iowa | $115,030 | $96,000 | 3,145,711 | 149 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $116,921 | $98,000 | 1,059,639 | 49 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $113,719 | $94,000 | 1,815,857 | 57 |
| 29 | Colorado | $115,288 | $95,000 | 5,607,154 | 424 |
| 30 | Delaware | $112,932 | $94,000 | 961,939 | 98 |
| 31 | Arizona | $111,875 | $92,000 | 7,016,270 | 425 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $116,987 | $97,000 | 5,576,606 | 240 |
| 33 | Ohio | $102,397 | $85,000 | 11,658,609 | 961 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $99,831 | $83,000 | 4,454,189 | 530 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $112,520 | $95,000 | 1,342,795 | 74 |
| 36 | Florida | $110,373 | $92,000 | 20,984,400 | 981 |
| 37 | New Jersey | $114,622 | $96,000 | 9,005,644 | 363 |
| 38 | Maine | $111,261 | $94,000 | 1,335,907 | 46 |
| 39 | Idaho | $106,703 | $88,000 | 1,716,943 | 88 |
| 40 | Alabama | $103,696 | $86,000 | 4,874,747 | 243 |
| 41 | New York | $106,671 | $89,000 | 19,849,399 | 913 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $105,830 | $88,000 | 6,715,984 | 234 |
| 43 | Indiana | $103,403 | $86,000 | 6,666,818 | 379 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $98,831 | $81,000 | 3,004,279 | 171 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $100,049 | $83,000 | 5,795,483 | 364 |
| 46 | Georgia | $100,698 | $84,000 | 10,429,379 | 672 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $94,929 | $78,000 | 3,930,864 | 213 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $99,445 | $82,000 | 2,984,100 | 102 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $102,858 | $85,000 | 5,024,369 | 163 |
| 50 | Kansas | $99,388 | $82,000 | 2,913,123 | 126 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $73,178 | $61,000 | 10,273,419 | 309 |
Highest paying states for investigative analysts
| Rank | State | Avg. Investigative Analyst Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | $149,943 |
| 2 | Alaska | $131,879 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $146,152 |
| 4 | Maryland | $139,481 |
| 5 | Oregon | $131,988 |
| 6 | Louisiana | $149,263 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $141,550 |
| 8 | Washington | $129,016 |
| 9 | Michigan | $121,233 |
| 10 | South Dakota | $145,789 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $121,505 |
| 12 | Vermont | $126,711 |
| 13 | Illinois | $122,228 |
| 14 | Nevada | $120,610 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $119,434 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $123,330 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $113,268 |
| 18 | Missouri | $113,846 |
| 19 | Texas | $117,918 |
| 20 | California | $123,822 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $112,738 |
| 22 | Virginia | $116,481 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $116,995 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $122,521 |
| 25 | Utah | $113,095 |
| 26 | Iowa | $115,030 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $116,921 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $113,719 |
| 29 | Colorado | $115,288 |
| 30 | Delaware | $112,932 |
| 31 | Arizona | $111,875 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $116,987 |
| 33 | Ohio | $102,397 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $99,831 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $112,520 |
| 36 | Florida | $110,373 |
| 37 | New Jersey | $114,622 |
| 38 | Maine | $111,261 |
| 39 | Idaho | $106,703 |
| 40 | Alabama | $103,696 |
| 41 | New York | $106,671 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $105,830 |
| 43 | Indiana | $103,403 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $98,831 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $100,049 |
| 46 | Georgia | $100,698 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $94,929 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $99,445 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $102,858 |
| 50 | Kansas | $99,388 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $73,178 |
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Updated January 8, 2025