Senior Investigator Salary in the United States

How much does a Senior Investigator make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Senior Investigator in the United States is $91,109 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.

However, a Senior Investigator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $112,718
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $77,207 to $102,420
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $64,550
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View as table View as graph 25% $77,207 10% $64,550 90% $112,718 75% $102,420 $91,109 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Senior Investigator Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $102,420 $8,535 $1,970 $49
Average $91,109 $7,592 $1,752 $44
25th Percentile $77,207 $6,434 $1,485 $37
Check out Senior Investigator Job Openings in the United States
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Key Factors That Influence Senior Investigator Salaries

A Senior Investigator's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Senior Investigator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Senior Investigator's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $89,757
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $90,143
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,688
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $94,005
  • Expert (over 8 years): $97,783
Levels Salary
Entry Level Senior Investigator$89,757
Intermediate Level Senior Investigator$90,143
Senior Level Senior Investigator$91,688
Specialist Level Senior Investigator$94,005
Expert Level Senior Investigator$97,783
$89,757 0 yr
$90,143 < 2 yrs
$91,688 2-4 yrs
$94,005 5-8 yrs
$97,783 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Senior Investigators

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $114,916
  • San Francisco: $113,786
  • Oakland: $111,262

What Skills Can Increase a Senior Investigator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Risk Management (Mentioned in 10.19% Job Postings): Risk management is the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of risks (defined in ISO 31000 as the effect of uncertainty on objectives) followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities. Risks can come from various sources including uncertainty in financial markets, threats from project failures (at any phase in design, development, production, or sustainment life-cycles), legal liabilities, credit risk, accidents, natural causes and disasters, deliberate attack from an adversary, or events of uncertain or unpredictable root-cause. There are two types of events i.e. negative events can be classified as risks while positive events are classified as opportunities. Several risk management standards have been developed including the Project Management Institute, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, actuarial societies, and ISO standards. Methods, definitions and goals vary widely according to whether the risk management method is in the context of project management, security, engineering, industrial processes, financial portfolios, actuarial assessments, or public health and safety.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 2.09% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
  • Compliance Management (Mentioned in 1.53% Job Postings): Developing and managing compliance tools and processes to ensure employees and operations adhered to laws, regulations, and requirements.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Risk Management 10.19%
Microsoft Office 2.09%
Compliance Management 1.53%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Senior Investigator's salary.
  • Market Risk: Can increase your salary by up to 24%.
  • Operational Risk: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
  • Information Security: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Market Risk
$112,975
24%
Operational Risk
$110,242
21%
Information Security
$105,686
16%
Business Process Management
$103,864
14%
Credit Risk
$102,953
13%
Internal Control
$102,042
12%
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Senior Investigator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Senior Investigator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Senior Investigator

Salaries for a Senior Investigator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $91,102 in 2023 to around $90,094 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Senior Investigator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Senior Investigator Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$91,102
2024
$91,021
2025
$90,094
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $91,102
2024 $91,021
2025 $90,094
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Senior Investigator

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Senior Investigator

Here are companies hiring for Senior Investigator and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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