Digital Forensics Expert Average Salary in United States 2024
How much money does a person working as Digital Forensics Expert make in United States?
LOW
51,400
USD AVERAGE
95,200
USD HIGH
144,000
USD
A person working as Digital Forensics Expert in United States typically earns around 95,200 USD. Salaries range from 51,400 USD (lowest) to 144,000 USD (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Digital Forensics Expert salaries in United States vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Digital Forensics Expert Pay Scale and Salaries in United States
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
84,800 USD or more
75,900 to 84,800 USD
56,400 USD or less
56,400 to 75,900 USD
 51,400 USD |
85,100 USD |
144,000 USD |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Digital Forensics Expert in United States range from 51,400 USD (starting salary) to 144,000 USD (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 85,100 USD, half of the professionals who work as Digital Forensics Expert in United States earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Digital Forensics Expert in United States earn less than 71,200 USD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 96,000 USD while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Digital Forensics Expert in United States compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 56,400 USD to 75,900 USD. About 20% of salaries are below the 56,400 USD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 75,900 USD to 84,800 USD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 84,800 USD.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Digital Forensics Expert / United States
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 59,700 USD | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +26% | 75,400 USD |
| 5 - 10 Years | +32% | 99,400 USD |
| 10 - 15 Years | +18% | 117,000 USD |
| 15 - 20 Years | +11% | 129,000 USD |
| 20+ Years | +6% | 138,000 USD |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Digital Forensics Expert and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 59,700 USD.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 75,400 USD, 26% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 99,400 USD, 32% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 117,000 USD, 18% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 129,000 USD, 11% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 138,000 USD, 6% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Digital Forensics Expert / United States
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Digital Forensics Expert.
| High School | 58,800 USD | |
| Certificate or Diploma | +16% | 68,000 USD |
| Bachelor's Degree | +24% | 84,600 USD |
| Master's Degree | +47% | 124,000 USD |
| PhD | +13% | 140,000 USD |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Digital Forensics Expert in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: High School
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 58,800 USD.
Level 2: Certificate or Diploma
At this level, the average salary becomes 68,000 USD, 16% more than the previous level.
Level 3: Bachelor's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 84,600 USD, 24% more than the previous level.
Level 4: Master's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 124,000 USD, 47% more than the previous level.
Level 5: PhD
At this level, the average salary becomes 140,000 USD, 13% more than the previous level.
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in United States costs anywhere from 39,600 USD to 119,000 USD and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Digital Forensics Expert / United States
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Digital Forensics Expert in United States, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.
| Male | 97,300 USD | |
| Female | -5% | 92,900 USD |
Salary Comparison By Gender in United States for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Digital Forensics Expert / United States
How much are annual salary increments in United States for individuals working as Digital Forensics Expert? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Digital Forensics Expert in United States are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 12% every 16 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.
United States / All Professions
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Digital Forensics Expert / United States
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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73% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 27% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 1% to 2% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 27% | |
| No Bonus | 73% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Hourly Wage / Digital Forensics Expert / United States
46 USD per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Digital Forensics Expert in United States is 46 USD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Digital Forensics Expert in United States is 25 USD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Information Technology |  -100% | |
| Chief Information Security Officer | 139,000 USD |  +46% |
| Cloud Security Architect | 101,000 USD | +6% |
| Computer Security Specialist | 110,000 USD | +16% |
| Cross Platform Security Manager | 133,000 USD | +40% |
| Cyber Security Consultant | 113,000 USD | +19% |
| Cyber Security Researcher | 107,000 USD | +12% |
| Cyber Security Specialist | 110,000 USD | +16% |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 101,000 USD | +6% |
| Cybersecurity Architect | 104,000 USD | +9% |
| Cybersecurity Compliance Specialist | 93,500 USD | -2% |
| Cybersecurity Engineer | 92,600 USD | -3% |
| Cybersecurity Manager | 131,000 USD | +38% |
| Data Security Manager | 126,000 USD | +32% |
| Digital Forensics Expert | 95,200 USD | +0% |
| Information Security Administrator | 106,000 USD | +11% |
| Information Security Analyst | 111,000 USD | +17% |
| Information Security Associate | 89,400 USD | -6% |
| Information Security Director | 130,000 USD | +37% |
| Information Security Engineer | 90,500 USD | -5% |
| Information Security Manager | 141,000 USD | +48% |
| Information Security Specialist | 108,000 USD | +13% |
| Information Systems Penetration Testing Specialist | 108,000 USD | +13% |
| Information Systems Vulnerability Assessment Specialist | 102,000 USD | +7% |
| Malware Analysis Expert | 106,000 USD | +11% |
| Reverse Engineering Expert | 103,000 USD | +8% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Boston | 91,700 USD |
| Chicago | 108,000 USD |
| Houston | 112,000 USD |
| Las Vegas | 91,200 USD |
| Los Angeles | 112,000 USD |
| New York | 116,000 USD |
| San Francisco | 98,800 USD |
| San Jose | 99,100 USD |
Salary Comparison By State
| State | Average Salary |
| Alabama | 95,500 USD |
| Alaska | 85,400 USD |
| Arizona | 104,000 USD |
| Arkansas | 89,000 USD |
| California | 104,000 USD |
| Colorado | 96,000 USD |
| Connecticut | 95,400 USD |
| Delaware | 82,000 USD |
| District of Columbia | 82,100 USD |
| Florida | 105,000 USD |
| Georgia | 105,000 USD |
| Hawaii | 91,900 USD |
| Idaho | 85,100 USD |
| Illinois | 103,000 USD |
| Indiana | 101,000 USD |
| Iowa | 95,000 USD |
| Kansas | 88,000 USD |
| Kentucky | 92,800 USD |
| Louisiana | 95,000 USD |
| Maine | 89,500 USD |
| Maryland | 93,500 USD |
| Massachusetts | 95,700 USD |
| Michigan | 102,000 USD |
| Minnesota | 98,300 USD |
| Mississippi | 94,700 USD |
| Missouri | 94,000 USD |
| Montana | 85,200 USD |
| Nebraska | 90,000 USD |
| Nevada | 94,000 USD |
| New Hampshire | 83,400 USD |
| New Jersey | 99,200 USD |
| New Mexico | 90,200 USD |
| New York | 108,000 USD |
| North Carolina | 96,900 USD |
| North Dakota | 81,100 USD |
| Ohio | 103,000 USD |
| Oklahoma | 95,400 USD |
| Oregon | 97,500 USD |
| Pennsylvania | 100,000 USD |
| Rhode Island | 84,200 USD |
| South Carolina | 96,500 USD |
| South Dakota | 88,100 USD |
| Tennessee | 94,900 USD |
| Texas | 104,000 USD |
| Utah | 90,100 USD |
| Vermont | 85,500 USD |
| Virginia | 106,000 USD |
| Washington | 97,300 USD |
| West Virginia | 88,500 USD |
| Wisconsin | 99,100 USD |
| Wyoming | 85,700 USD |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in United States is 5% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 92,800 USD | |
| Public Sector | +5% | 97,500 USD |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Digital Forensics Expert in United States?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 85,100 USD and 96,000 USD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like Digital Forensics Expert in United States ranges from 51,400 USD to 71,200 USD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
