Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a lead investigator
Quoted expert
Daryl Clemens
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to lead investigator jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. In fact, our research shows that Nevada is the best state for lead investigators in America. The best city in America for lead investigators with the highest pay is South San Francisco, CA.
The median salary for lead investigators in Nevada is $72,501. Compare that to the median salary in South Carolina of $42,545, which ranked worst for lead investigators, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the Midwest is best for lead investigators, and the West is the worst. South San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for lead investigator jobs, where as Nevada is the best state in the country.
10 best states for lead investigators in 2025
1. Nevada
Total lead investigator jobs: 347 Average annual salary: $72,501 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 2.43
2. Rhode Island
Total lead investigator jobs: 239 Average annual salary: $70,093 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 2.88
3. Utah
Total lead investigator jobs: 645 Average annual salary: $66,485 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 2.96
4. Delaware
Total lead investigator jobs: 68 Average annual salary: $76,830 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
5. District of Columbia
Total lead investigator jobs: 84 Average annual salary: $88,523 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
6. Oregon
Total lead investigator jobs: 258 Average annual salary: $71,754 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
7. Montana
Total lead investigator jobs: 186 Average annual salary: $65,465 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 2.36
8. New York
Total lead investigator jobs: 628 Average annual salary: $73,701 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
9. New Hampshire
Total lead investigator jobs: 290 Average annual salary: $62,079 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 2.43
10. Wyoming
Total lead investigator jobs: 108 Average annual salary: $60,681 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 2.64
Lead investigator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a lead investigator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a lead investigator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $72,501 | $38,000 | 2,998,039 | 347 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $70,093 | $40,000 | 1,059,639 | 239 |
| 3 | Utah | $66,485 | $36,000 | 3,101,833 | 645 |
| 4 | Delaware | $76,830 | $43,000 | 961,939 | 68 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $88,523 | $50,000 | 693,972 | 84 |
| 6 | Oregon | $71,754 | $38,000 | 4,142,776 | 258 |
| 7 | Montana | $65,465 | $38,000 | 1,050,493 | 186 |
| 8 | New York | $73,701 | $42,000 | 19,849,399 | 628 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $62,079 | $36,000 | 1,342,795 | 290 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $60,681 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 108 |
| 11 | Texas | $66,057 | $37,000 | 28,304,596 | 795 |
| 12 | Washington | $66,908 | $36,000 | 7,405,743 | 434 |
| 13 | Maryland | $71,509 | $40,000 | 6,052,177 | 270 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $67,596 | $37,000 | 10,273,419 | 214 |
| 15 | Ohio | $60,435 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 847 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $60,945 | $34,000 | 2,088,070 | 273 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $60,398 | $36,000 | 5,795,483 | 333 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $64,319 | $37,000 | 3,588,184 | 149 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $58,306 | $36,000 | 869,666 | 112 |
| 20 | California | $67,194 | $35,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,693 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $58,447 | $33,000 | 12,805,537 | 796 |
| 22 | Alabama | $61,122 | $34,000 | 4,874,747 | 163 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $56,216 | $32,000 | 3,004,279 | 405 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $53,020 | $30,000 | 4,454,189 | 855 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $57,299 | $32,000 | 4,684,333 | 439 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $55,615 | $31,000 | 6,715,984 | 832 |
| 27 | Illinois | $62,410 | $36,000 | 12,802,023 | 398 |
| 28 | Alaska | $52,002 | $37,000 | 739,795 | 161 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $58,753 | $33,000 | 1,815,857 | 43 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $57,510 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 144 |
| 31 | Michigan | $52,379 | $30,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,330 |
| 32 | Missouri | $51,501 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,117 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $60,441 | $35,000 | 6,859,819 | 255 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $57,739 | $36,000 | 5,576,606 | 170 |
| 35 | Kansas | $52,161 | $30,000 | 2,913,123 | 336 |
| 36 | Idaho | $51,029 | $27,000 | 1,716,943 | 240 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $49,168 | $29,000 | 1,920,076 | 382 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $57,002 | $32,000 | 9,005,644 | 300 |
| 39 | Virginia | $55,821 | $31,000 | 8,470,020 | 366 |
| 40 | Vermont | $56,429 | $32,000 | 623,657 | 16 |
| 41 | Maine | $52,538 | $30,000 | 1,335,907 | 33 |
| 42 | Iowa | $51,661 | $30,000 | 3,145,711 | 73 |
| 43 | Georgia | $48,519 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 451 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $48,896 | $27,000 | 2,984,100 | 80 |
| 45 | Colorado | $49,557 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 251 |
| 46 | Arizona | $45,612 | $25,000 | 7,016,270 | 296 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $36,646 | $21,000 | 3,930,864 | 473 |
| 48 | Indiana | $41,285 | $23,000 | 6,666,818 | 259 |
| 49 | Florida | $39,181 | $21,000 | 20,984,400 | 672 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $43,297 | $28,000 | 755,393 | 21 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $42,545 | $23,000 | 5,024,369 | 155 |
Highest paying states for lead investigators
| Rank | State | Avg. Lead Investigator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $72,501 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $70,093 |
| 3 | Utah | $66,485 |
| 4 | Delaware | $76,830 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $88,523 |
| 6 | Oregon | $71,754 |
| 7 | Montana | $65,465 |
| 8 | New York | $73,701 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $62,079 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $60,681 |
| 11 | Texas | $66,057 |
| 12 | Washington | $66,908 |
| 13 | Maryland | $71,509 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $67,596 |
| 15 | Ohio | $60,435 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $60,945 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $60,398 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $64,319 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $58,306 |
| 20 | California | $67,194 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $58,447 |
| 22 | Alabama | $61,122 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $56,216 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $53,020 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $57,299 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $55,615 |
| 27 | Illinois | $62,410 |
| 28 | Alaska | $52,002 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $58,753 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $57,510 |
| 31 | Michigan | $52,379 |
| 32 | Missouri | $51,501 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $60,441 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $57,739 |
| 35 | Kansas | $52,161 |
| 36 | Idaho | $51,029 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $49,168 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $57,002 |
| 39 | Virginia | $55,821 |
| 40 | Vermont | $56,429 |
| 41 | Maine | $52,538 |
| 42 | Iowa | $51,661 |
| 43 | Georgia | $48,519 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $48,896 |
| 45 | Colorado | $49,557 |
| 46 | Arizona | $45,612 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $36,646 |
| 48 | Indiana | $41,285 |
| 49 | Florida | $39,181 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $43,297 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $42,545 |
Expert opinions on the best states for lead investigators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for lead 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.
Lead investigator best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service questions.
Search for lead investigator jobs
Updated January 8, 2025