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Lead investigator salary
Average lead investigator salary
$60,060
Understanding the Lead Investigator Salary
The salary of a Lead Investigator can vary widely based on factors such as geographic location, industry, and years of experience. Currently, the average annual salary stands at $60,060, translating to approximately $29 per hour. This role is vital in various sectors, including law enforcement, corporate compliance, and healthcare.
Salary by State
Lead Investigators in states like California and New York often earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. For instance, the highest paying states for this role include:
- California
- New York
- Texas
- Florida
Additionally, the type of industry significantly impacts salaries. For example, Lead Investigators in the healthcare sector often receive higher compensation than those in other fields. By understanding these dynamics, professionals can make informed decisions about their career paths and seek out opportunities with better pay.
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Where can a Lead Investigator earn more?
Lead investigator salary estimates from across the web
Average lead investigator salary by state
The average lead investigator salary in Delaware, New York, and Nevada are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average lead investigator salary states are Arizona, North Dakota, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lead investigators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $72,501 | $34.86 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $70,093 | $33.70 |
| 3 | Utah | $66,485 | $31.96 |
| 4 | Delaware | $76,830 | $36.94 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $88,523 | $42.56 |
| 6 | Oregon | $71,754 | $34.50 |
| 7 | Montana | $65,465 | $31.47 |
| 8 | New York | $73,701 | $35.43 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $62,079 | $29.85 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $60,681 | $29.17 |
| 11 | Texas | $66,057 | $31.76 |
| 12 | Washington | $66,908 | $32.17 |
| 13 | Maryland | $71,509 | $34.38 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $67,596 | $32.50 |
| 15 | Ohio | $60,435 | $29.06 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $60,945 | $29.30 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $60,398 | $29.04 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $64,319 | $30.92 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $58,306 | $28.03 |
| 20 | California | $67,194 | $32.30 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $58,447 | $28.10 |
| 22 | Alabama | $61,122 | $29.39 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $56,216 | $27.03 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $53,020 | $25.49 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $57,299 | $27.55 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $55,615 | $26.74 |
| 27 | Illinois | $62,410 | $30.00 |
| 28 | Alaska | $52,002 | $25.00 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $58,753 | $28.25 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $57,510 | $27.65 |
| 31 | Michigan | $52,379 | $25.18 |
| 32 | Missouri | $51,501 | $24.76 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $60,441 | $29.06 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $57,739 | $27.76 |
| 35 | Kansas | $52,161 | $25.08 |
| 36 | Idaho | $51,029 | $24.53 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $49,168 | $23.64 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $57,002 | $27.40 |
| 39 | Virginia | $55,821 | $26.84 |
| 40 | Vermont | $56,429 | $27.13 |
| 41 | Maine | $52,538 | $25.26 |
| 42 | Iowa | $51,661 | $24.84 |
| 43 | Georgia | $48,519 | $23.33 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $48,896 | $23.51 |
| 45 | Colorado | $49,557 | $23.83 |
| 46 | Arizona | $45,612 | $21.93 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $36,646 | $17.62 |
| 48 | Indiana | $41,285 | $19.85 |
| 49 | Florida | $39,181 | $18.84 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $43,297 | $20.82 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $42,545 | $20.45 |
Highest paying cities for lead investigators
The highest-paying cities for lead investigators are South San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Dallas, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South San Francisco, CA | $74,466 | $35.80 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $73,772 | $35.47 |
| 3 | Dallas, TX | $65,944 | $31.70 |
| 4 | Stamford, CT | $64,459 | $30.99 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $63,206 | $30.39 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $60,326 | $29.00 |
| 7 | Harrisburg, PA | $58,299 | $28.03 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $57,714 | $27.75 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $49,446 | $23.77 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $48,631 | $23.38 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $45,950 | $22.09 |
| 12 | Tampa, FL | $39,751 | $19.11 |
Lead investigator salary details
A lead investigator's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $113,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lead investigator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $113,000 | $9,417 | $54 |
| 75th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| Average | $60,060 | $5,005 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying lead investigator jobs
The highest paying types of lead investigators are asset protection manager, intelligence analyst, and investigator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officer | $52,506 | $4,376 | $25.24 | 114,267 |
| Deputy | $53,682 | $4,473 | $25.81 | 56,150 |
| Military Police Officer | $38,080 | $3,173 | $18.31 | 122,487 |
| Detective | $57,984 | $4,832 | $27.88 | 56,521 |
| Police Officer | $52,638 | $4,386 | $25.31 | 116,287 |
| Patrol Officer | $35,621 | $2,968 | $17.13 | 123,265 |
Top companies hiring lead investigators now:
Which companies pay lead investigators the most?
Lead investigator salaries at BNY Mellon and Pfizer are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lead investigator salary at companies like Citi and Amazon are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BNY Mellon | $102,343 | $49.20 |
| 2 | Pfizer | $98,207 | $47.21 |
| 3 | Citi | $97,956 | $47.09 |
| 4 | Amazon | $83,644 | $40.21 |
| 5 | Abbott | $83,140 | $39.97 |
| 6 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $82,043 | $39.44 |
| 7 | Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | $79,463 | $38.20 |
| 8 | Emory University | $67,613 | $32.51 |
| 9 | UnitedHealth Group | $57,952 | $27.86 |
| 10 | Emory Healthcare | $55,859 | $26.86 |
| 11 | KeyBank | $54,675 | $26.29 |
| 12 | Western Union | $53,990 | $25.96 |
| 13 | The PNC Financial Services Group | $51,204 | $24.62 |
| 14 | The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County | $41,760 | $20.08 |
| 15 | PNC | $41,569 | $19.99 |
| 16 | Maricopa County | $41,146 | $19.78 |
| 17 | Rite Aid | $39,512 | $19.00 |
| 18 | Target | $37,856 | $18.20 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lead Investigator salary by industry
The average lead investigator salary varies across industries:
- The average lead investigator salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $91,673, the highest of any industry.
- The average lead investigator salary in the finance industry is $74,579.
- Lead investigators in the government industry earn an average salary of $51,083, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for lead investigators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $91,673 | $44.07 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $74,579 | $35.86 |
| 3 | Health Care | $68,272 | $32.82 |
| 4 | Finance | $56,858 | $27.34 |
| 5 | Professional | $56,142 | $26.99 |
| 6 | Government | $51,083 | $24.56 |
High paying lead investigator jobs
Lead investigator salary trends
The average lead investigator salary has risen by $10,824 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead investigator earned $49,236 annually, but today, they earn $60,060 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for lead investigators over the last decade.
Compare lead investigator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lead investigator salary over time
Compare lead investigator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lead investigator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $60,100 | $28.88 | +5.3% |
| 2025 | $56,900 | $27.35 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | $56,400 | $27.13 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | $57,100 | $27.46 | +5.0% |
| 2022 | $54,300 | $26.10 | +5.4% |
Recently added lead investigator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Homeland Security | Lead Investigative Protection Officer | Washington, DC | 06/28/2025 | $104,436 |
| Texas Health & Human Services Commission | Lead Investigator | San Antonio, TX | 06/18/2025 | $65,104 |
| Chubb | Leader, Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Transformation | Chicago, IL | 06/10/2025 | $100,700 |
| State of New York | Attorney: Lead Complex Civil Fraud Investigations (3788) | New York, NY | 06/05/2025 | $85,159 |
| Geico Insurance | Lead SIU Investigator | Allentown, PA | 05/29/2025 | $84,050 |
| Chubb | Leader, Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Transformation | Chicago, IL | 05/28/2025 | $100,700 |
| Independent Living Resources | Lead Investigator-Incident Management | Albany, NY | 05/17/2025 | $62,700 |
| Living Resources Career Opportunties | Lead Investigator-Incident Management | Albany, NY | 05/15/2025 | $62,700 |
| Aveva Drug Delivery Systems | Lead Investigator | Miramar, FL | 04/29/2025 | $70,000 |
| Kelly Services | Lead Investigator | Cincinnati, OH | 04/24/2025 | $79,306 |
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