Computer Forensics Investigator/Specialist

Entry Level Position & pay:
Forensic Specialists work in a variety of places such as police departments, government agencies, prosecutors’ offices, law firms, insurance companies, hospitals, and consulting firms.
Starting salaries in the field can also range as high as $100,000, but wages vary greatly by employer and specialty.
Some entry level positions are Evidence custodians who acquire digital media & Forensic Investigators or the Forensic Consultants who usually work with everyday investigations. Starting pay is around $45,000 on average a year and increases with experience.
Working with law enforcement as a computer forensic investigator: Usually your education is paid for and you get immediate experience. The average salary is $58,000 a year. Working in the military has government benefits, but salary is often less.

Job Description: Computer Forensic Investigators assist individuals, businesses, and attorneys by finding and analyzing information. They connect clues to uncover facts about legal, financial, or personal matters. They investigate computer crimes such as identity theft, harassing e-mails, and illegal downloading of copyright material. They also recover deleted e-mails and documents. Computer Forensic Investigators can also be hired by individuals to prove or disprove infidelity.
Example: At an insurance company, a new investigator will learn to recognize insurance fraud. At a firm that specializes in domestic cases, a new worker might observe a senior investigator performing surveillance. New investigators are put on cases and gain skills as they go.

Education/Skills Requirements: For most computer forensics work, a bachelor’s degree is preferred. For computer forensics work, a computer science or accounting degree is more helpful than a criminal justice degree. An accounting