Crime Scene Investigator/Technician Salary
Crime scene investigators salaries are usually determined by how much education and experience a crime scene invesitgator has acquired. Average salaries for crime scene investigators range from $25,000a year on the low end to $55,000 a year on the high end. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, a "forensic science technician" (a.k.a. a Crimine Scene Investigator) is a criminal justice professional employed to "identify, collect, classify, and analyze physical evidence that is related to criminal investigations". The Bureau of Labor Statistics listed the "forensic science technician" career as one of the fastest growing careers in 2008 and the number of crime scene investigors nationwide (both in the field and in the laboratory) increased from 9,800 in 2004 to about 13,030 in 2008 and the number is expected to grow over the next ten years. In 2008 the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average hourly wage for a crime scene technician (a.k.a. crime scene investigator) was $24.19 and the mean salary was $50,310 a year. For the same period the top 10% of all crime scene investigators earned over $76,000 a year and the lowest 10% earned only $29,000 a year.
The following are some annual earning estimates for crime scene investigator careers based on recent job postings.
- Police Evidence Technician I/II: $34,598 -- $67,197
- Crime Scene Technician: $51,204 -- $63,444
- Forensic Photographer: $45,780 -- $53,290
- Criminalist: $65,645 -- $102,190
- Latent Print Technician: $51,250 -- $66,851
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