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Best states for an investigator
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Daryl Clemens
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It seems like investigators are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for investigators aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. In fact, our research shows that California is the best state for investigators in America. The best city in America for investigators with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for investigators. California is the best state for investigators, where the median salary is $99,885.California is the best state, and Eureka is the city with the highest pay for investigators.
10 best states for investigators in 2025
1. California
Total investigator jobs: 2,250 Average annual salary: $99,885 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
2. Montana
Total investigator jobs: 87 Average annual salary: $90,498 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
3. District of Columbia
Total investigator jobs: 162 Average annual salary: $97,472 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
4. Delaware
Total investigator jobs: 96 Average annual salary: $84,894 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
5. Oregon
Total investigator jobs: 302 Average annual salary: $85,458 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
6. Washington
Total investigator jobs: 498 Average annual salary: $84,924 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
7. Nevada
Total investigator jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $81,017 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
8. Utah
Total investigator jobs: 219 Average annual salary: $77,835 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
9. Wyoming
Total investigator jobs: 27 Average annual salary: $79,338 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
10. Maryland
Total investigator jobs: 473 Average annual salary: $78,768 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
Investigator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an investigator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an investigator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $99,885 | $60,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,250 |
| 2 | Montana | $90,498 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 87 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $97,472 | $58,000 | 693,972 | 162 |
| 4 | Delaware | $84,894 | $51,000 | 961,939 | 96 |
| 5 | Oregon | $85,458 | $52,000 | 4,142,776 | 302 |
| 6 | Washington | $84,924 | $52,000 | 7,405,743 | 498 |
| 7 | Nevada | $81,017 | $47,000 | 2,998,039 | 109 |
| 8 | Utah | $77,835 | $45,000 | 3,101,833 | 219 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $79,338 | $46,000 | 579,315 | 27 |
| 10 | Maryland | $78,768 | $47,000 | 6,052,177 | 473 |
| 11 | Ohio | $68,565 | $40,000 | 11,658,609 | 943 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $72,805 | $43,000 | 5,795,483 | 376 |
| 13 | Alaska | $75,442 | $57,000 | 739,795 | 70 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $79,872 | $50,000 | 1,059,639 | 54 |
| 15 | New York | $78,385 | $48,000 | 19,849,399 | 745 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $74,501 | $43,000 | 2,088,070 | 112 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $78,447 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 29 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $69,591 | $40,000 | 3,004,279 | 162 |
| 19 | Illinois | $74,880 | $44,000 | 12,802,023 | 602 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $77,417 | $44,000 | 10,273,419 | 320 |
| 21 | Alabama | $71,149 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 220 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $72,650 | $45,000 | 3,588,184 | 189 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $62,522 | $36,000 | 4,454,189 | 512 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $64,883 | $39,000 | 12,805,537 | 908 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $72,279 | $46,000 | 1,342,795 | 68 |
| 26 | Missouri | $63,419 | $36,000 | 6,113,532 | 614 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $62,874 | $37,000 | 1,920,076 | 228 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $63,333 | $53,000 | 1,427,538 | 85 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $66,004 | $38,000 | 1,815,857 | 58 |
| 30 | Texas | $66,061 | $38,000 | 28,304,596 | 938 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $66,359 | $38,000 | 6,715,984 | 209 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $67,278 | $41,000 | 5,576,606 | 298 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $69,611 | $44,000 | 6,859,819 | 390 |
| 34 | Kansas | $65,552 | $38,000 | 2,913,123 | 105 |
| 35 | Michigan | $59,387 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 658 |
| 36 | Vermont | $67,819 | $43,000 | 623,657 | 30 |
| 37 | Iowa | $64,780 | $38,000 | 3,145,711 | 125 |
| 38 | Virginia | $62,213 | $36,000 | 8,470,020 | 656 |
| 39 | Colorado | $63,080 | $36,000 | 5,607,154 | 354 |
| 40 | Maine | $63,626 | $41,000 | 1,335,907 | 54 |
| 41 | New Jersey | $63,594 | $39,000 | 9,005,644 | 366 |
| 42 | Idaho | $61,462 | $36,000 | 1,716,943 | 78 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $57,809 | $33,000 | 4,684,333 | 172 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $61,827 | $39,000 | 755,393 | 32 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $57,143 | $33,000 | 2,984,100 | 117 |
| 46 | Georgia | $55,976 | $32,000 | 10,429,379 | 629 |
| 47 | Arizona | $53,333 | $31,000 | 7,016,270 | 346 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $46,126 | $26,000 | 3,930,864 | 223 |
| 49 | Indiana | $48,745 | $28,000 | 6,666,818 | 347 |
| 50 | Florida | $43,087 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,051 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $47,901 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 200 |
Highest paying states for investigators
| Rank | State | Avg. Investigator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $99,885 |
| 2 | Montana | $90,498 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $97,472 |
| 4 | Delaware | $84,894 |
| 5 | Oregon | $85,458 |
| 6 | Washington | $84,924 |
| 7 | Nevada | $81,017 |
| 8 | Utah | $77,835 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $79,338 |
| 10 | Maryland | $78,768 |
| 11 | Ohio | $68,565 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $72,805 |
| 13 | Alaska | $75,442 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $79,872 |
| 15 | New York | $78,385 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $74,501 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $78,447 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $69,591 |
| 19 | Illinois | $74,880 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $77,417 |
| 21 | Alabama | $71,149 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $72,650 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $62,522 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $64,883 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $72,279 |
| 26 | Missouri | $63,419 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $62,874 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $63,333 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $66,004 |
| 30 | Texas | $66,061 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $66,359 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $67,278 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $69,611 |
| 34 | Kansas | $65,552 |
| 35 | Michigan | $59,387 |
| 36 | Vermont | $67,819 |
| 37 | Iowa | $64,780 |
| 38 | Virginia | $62,213 |
| 39 | Colorado | $63,080 |
| 40 | Maine | $63,626 |
| 41 | New Jersey | $63,594 |
| 42 | Idaho | $61,462 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $57,809 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $61,827 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $57,143 |
| 46 | Georgia | $55,976 |
| 47 | Arizona | $53,333 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $46,126 |
| 49 | Indiana | $48,745 |
| 50 | Florida | $43,087 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $47,901 |
Expert opinions on the best states for investigators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for investigators to find work opportunities?
Daryl Clemens
President & Chairman of the Board, International Crime Scene Investigators Association
CSI jobs are primarily found with large police departments. Smaller departments (which is most of them) don't have the staff to specialize and will have patrol officers or detectives do the crime scene work in addition to their other duties.
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Updated January 8, 2025