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The average salary for a Senior Investigator is approximately $61,240 per year or about $29 per hour. This compensation can vary significantly based on several factors.
States like California and New York often provide some of the highest salaries for Senior Investigators. Additionally, exploring opportunities in high-demand industries can enhance earning potential.
For those interested in advancing within this career path, understanding the various elements that influence salary can lead to better job choices and career advancement.
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The highest-paying states for senior investigators are Maryland, Washington, and Oregon. The lowest average senior investigator salary states are Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $93,785 | $45.09 |
| 2 | Oregon | $84,528 | $40.64 |
| 3 | Washington | $91,043 | $43.77 |
| 4 | Montana | $79,625 | $38.28 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $80,675 | $38.79 |
| 6 | California | $80,257 | $38.59 |
| 7 | Alaska | $72,564 | $34.89 |
| 8 | Nevada | $75,579 | $36.34 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $66,570 | $32.00 |
| 10 | New York | $77,939 | $37.47 |
| 11 | Michigan | $66,414 | $31.93 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $77,158 | $37.10 |
| 13 | Delaware | $68,960 | $33.15 |
| 14 | Virginia | $68,460 | $32.91 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $71,029 | $34.15 |
| 16 | Ohio | $61,513 | $29.57 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $70,322 | $33.81 |
| 18 | Utah | $65,132 | $31.31 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $72,489 | $34.85 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $68,547 | $32.96 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $68,724 | $33.04 |
| 22 | Maine | $69,218 | $33.28 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $69,366 | $33.35 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $60,844 | $29.25 |
| 25 | Colorado | $63,838 | $30.69 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $64,640 | $31.08 |
| 27 | Arizona | $60,588 | $29.13 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $60,698 | $29.18 |
| 29 | Illinois | $61,372 | $29.51 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $50,674 | $24.36 |
| 31 | Vermont | $63,716 | $30.63 |
| 32 | Missouri | $50,346 | $24.20 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $45,490 | $21.87 |
| 34 | Idaho | $55,689 | $26.77 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $47,108 | $22.65 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $57,978 | $27.87 |
| 37 | Texas | $51,908 | $24.96 |
| 38 | Kansas | $53,348 | $25.65 |
| 39 | Iowa | $53,098 | $25.53 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $52,690 | $25.33 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $51,276 | $24.65 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $43,075 | $20.71 |
| 43 | Indiana | $43,487 | $20.91 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $42,700 | $20.53 |
| 45 | Georgia | $41,064 | $19.74 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $45,322 | $21.79 |
| 47 | Alabama | $42,646 | $20.50 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $41,995 | $20.19 |
| 49 | Florida | $35,293 | $16.97 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $45,856 | $22.05 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $34,975 | $16.81 |
The highest-paying cities for senior investigators are Frederick, MD, Olympia, WA, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frederick, MD | $93,941 | $45.16 |
| 2 | Olympia, WA | $92,489 | $44.47 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $91,127 | $43.81 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | $83,885 | $40.33 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $80,762 | $38.83 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $77,946 | $37.47 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $77,117 | $37.08 |
| 8 | Jersey City, NJ | $72,656 | $34.93 |
| 9 | Reston, VA | $71,422 | $34.34 |
| 10 | Hartford, CT | $71,084 | $34.17 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $66,852 | $32.14 |
| 12 | Salt Lake City, UT | $64,932 | $31.22 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | $63,707 | $30.63 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $62,053 | $29.83 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $61,037 | $29.34 |
| 16 | Saint Paul, MN | $52,878 | $25.42 |
| 17 | Dallas, TX | $51,818 | $24.91 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $50,456 | $24.26 |
| 19 | Charlotte, NC | $43,752 | $21.03 |
| 20 | Little Rock, AR | $42,729 | $20.54 |
A senior investigator's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $105,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $105,000 | $8,750 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| Average | $61,240 | $5,103 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
The highest paying types of senior 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 |
| Police Officer | $52,638 | $4,386 | $25.31 | 116,287 |
| Asset Protection Manager | $83,821 | $6,985 | $40.30 | 62,727 |
| Law Enforcement Officer | $39,219 | $3,268 | $18.86 | 105,817 |
| Public Safety Officer | $36,596 | $3,050 | $17.59 | 122,048 |
Top companies hiring senior investigators now:
Senior investigator salaries at DLA Piper and Novartis are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior investigator salary at companies like Mintz and Intuit are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DLA Piper | $129,762 | $62.39 |
| 2 | Novartis | $117,180 | $56.34 |
| 3 | Mintz | $116,869 | $56.19 |
| 4 | Intuit | $108,284 | $52.06 |
| 5 | Standard Chartered | $104,821 | $50.39 |
| 6 | Sutter Health | $98,820 | $47.51 |
| 7 | LendingClub | $90,113 | $43.32 |
| 8 | AIG | $88,529 | $42.56 |
| 9 | CVS Health | $88,240 | $42.42 |
| 10 | General Electric | $85,427 | $41.07 |
| 11 | Edward Jones | $84,737 | $40.74 |
| 12 | The Travelers Companies | $84,235 | $40.50 |
| 13 | Accenture | $82,330 | $39.58 |
| 14 | Roivant Sciences | $81,281 | $39.08 |
| 15 | Medtronic | $80,537 | $38.72 |
| 16 | Aetna | $79,966 | $38.45 |
| 17 | National Institutes of Health | $78,811 | $37.89 |
| 18 | Teva Pharmaceuticals | $77,890 | $37.45 |
| 19 | Ericsson | $76,951 | $37.00 |
| 20 | Highmark | $76,887 | $36.96 |
The average senior investigator salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $74,532 | $35.83 |
| 2 | Health Care | $68,598 | $32.98 |
| 3 | Insurance | $62,607 | $30.10 |
| 4 | Government | $58,811 | $28.27 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $56,817 | $27.32 |
The average senior investigator salary has risen by $10,686 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior investigator earned $50,554 annually, but today, they earn $61,240 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for senior investigators over the last decade.
Compare senior investigator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare senior investigator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $61,200 | $29.44 | +4.3% |
| 2025 | $58,600 | $28.17 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | $57,700 | $27.74 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $56,300 | $27.08 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $55,000 | $26.46 | +1.2% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F5 Networks | Senior Security Threat Intelligence Investigator | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $131,581 |
| Jeppesen | Senior Global Trade Investigator | Arlington, VA | 06/30/2025 | $117,300 |
| John Hancock | Global Investigative & Forensic Services Senior Investigator | New York, NY | 06/30/2025 | $90,225 |
| State of Washington | Senior Investigator/Analyst-SR. Special Agent, Medicaid Fraud Control Division | Olympia, WA | 06/30/2025 | $78,468 |
| Paragoncommunity | Investigator Senior | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $78,400 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Senior Financial Investigator | Boone, NC | 06/29/2025 | $74,156 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Senior Financial Investigator | Fayetteville, AR | 06/29/2025 | $74,156 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Senior Financial Investigator | Milwaukee, WI | 06/29/2025 | $74,156 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Senior Financial Investigator | Trenton, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $74,156 |
| The Boeing Company | Senior Global Trade Investigator | Arlington, VA | 06/28/2025 | $117,300 |
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