Crime Scene Cleaner salary by state
The national median for crime scene cleaners was $23.78 an hour, or $49,450 a year, in May 2025. Where the work is changes that a lot: New York pays $17.53 an hour more at the median than Arkansas.
National pay for crime scene cleaners
BLS has no figure for crime scene cleaners. These are its numbers for hazardous materials removal workers, the closest group, which includes decontamination workers along with asbestos and lead abatement crews. Treat them as a rough guide, not a measure of crime scene work itself.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.49 | $38,460 |
| 25th percentile | $21.50 | $44,720 |
| Median | $23.78 | $49,450 |
| 75th percentile | $29.58 | $61,530 |
| 90th percentile | $39.62 | $82,410 |
| Average (mean) | $27.13 | $56,430 |
Highest and lowest paying states
Ranked by median hourly wage. These are wages as paid, not adjusted for living costs.
| Top 5 | Median hourly | Median yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 1. New York | $35.14 | $73,090 |
| 2. Illinois | $29.49 | $61,330 |
| 3. Alaska | $29.00 | $60,320 |
| 4. District of Columbia | $28.96 | $60,240 |
| 5. North Dakota | $28.92 | $60,160 |
| Bottom 5 | Median hourly | Median yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 51. Arkansas | $17.61 | $36,630 |
| 50. Louisiana | $18.27 | $38,000 |
| 49. Alabama | $18.56 | $38,610 |
| 48. Mississippi | $18.96 | $39,440 |
| 47. Florida | $20.36 | $42,350 |
Crime Scene Cleaner pay in every state
Pick a state for its full page: the pay range, how it compares with its neighbors, how many crime scene cleaners work there and what a business should charge.
| State | Median hourly | Median yearly | Bottom to top tenth | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $18.56 | $38,610 | $16.56 to $28.44 | 350 |
| Alaska | $29.00 | $60,320 | $22.18 to $58.55 | 140 |
| Arizona | $24.29 | $50,530 | $16.54 to $29.16 | 800 |
| Arkansas | $17.61 | $36,630 | $16.73 to $52.22 | 440 |
| California | $26.98 | $56,120 | $20.03 to $41.09 | 7,340 |
| Colorado | $28.81 | $59,920 | $21.54 to $34.55 | 1,400 |
| Connecticut | $22.64 | $47,090 | $18.78 to $30.84 | 750 |
| Delaware | $21.28 | $44,250 | $15.39 to $30.35 | Not published |
| District of Columbia | $28.96 | $60,240 | $25.63 to $40.94 | 50 |
| Florida | $20.36 | $42,350 | $16.81 to $28.51 | 1,780 |
| Georgia | $23.54 | $48,960 | $17.14 to $29.41 | 460 |
| Hawaii | $28.10 | $58,440 | $21.36 to $37.15 | 340 |
| Idaho | $23.90 | $49,710 | $20.63 to $49.93 | 600 |
| Illinois | $29.49 | $61,330 | $21.15 to $47.58 | 1,980 |
| Indiana | $22.44 | $46,680 | $18.41 to $30.22 | 990 |
| Iowa | $23.98 | $49,870 | $18.51 to $29.40 | 270 |
| Kansas | $21.89 | $45,530 | $17.36 to $27.08 | 480 |
| Kentucky | $22.91 | $47,640 | $19.31 to $30.36 | 460 |
| Louisiana | $18.27 | $38,000 | $16.56 to $24.09 | 880 |
| Maine | $22.73 | $47,280 | $19.19 to $41.03 | 190 |
| Maryland | $23.39 | $48,640 | $21.92 to $36.14 | 660 |
| Massachusetts | $23.86 | $49,620 | $22.22 to $31.67 | 2,770 |
| Michigan | $22.30 | $46,380 | $17.60 to $32.88 | 1,610 |
| Minnesota | $28.41 | $59,100 | $21.28 to $44.30 | 730 |
| Mississippi | $18.96 | $39,440 | $16.16 to $23.09 | 250 |
| Missouri | $28.42 | $59,120 | $17.93 to $32.85 | 370 |
| Montana | $26.22 | $54,540 | $22.20 to $30.25 | 250 |
| Nebraska | $23.34 | $48,540 | $18.16 to $28.42 | 210 |
| Nevada | $22.85 | $47,520 | $18.21 to $30.05 | 400 |
| New Hampshire | $26.59 | $55,310 | $23.00 to $46.73 | 140 |
| New Jersey | $26.87 | $55,900 | $21.03 to $51.72 | 2,250 |
| New Mexico | $25.69 | $53,440 | $17.79 to $37.50 | 680 |
| New York | $35.14 | $73,090 | $22.89 to $47.75 | 4,090 |
| North Carolina | $20.76 | $43,180 | $17.95 to $28.23 | 1,250 |
| North Dakota | $28.92 | $60,160 | $10.06 to $33.72 | 170 |
| Ohio | $22.41 | $46,620 | $18.80 to $32.03 | 830 |
| Oklahoma | $21.30 | $44,300 | $18.07 to $24.34 | 650 |
| Oregon | $23.90 | $49,720 | $20.03 to $30.99 | 1,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $23.01 | $47,860 | $18.06 to $35.00 | 1,590 |
| Rhode Island | $22.44 | $46,670 | $19.42 to $38.32 | 330 |
| South Carolina | $23.64 | $49,170 | $18.19 to $49.41 | 870 |
| South Dakota | $24.72 | $51,420 | $22.79 to $27.90 | 190 |
| Tennessee | $28.89 | $60,090 | $18.97 to $46.20 | 570 |
| Texas | $21.34 | $44,390 | $18.23 to $29.07 | 4,450 |
| Utah | $23.67 | $49,240 | $17.73 to $37.08 | 530 |
| Vermont | $22.49 | $46,780 | $21.57 to $25.14 | 70 |
| Virginia | $21.79 | $45,320 | $17.86 to $29.06 | 930 |
| Washington | $28.92 | $60,160 | $21.86 to $50.26 | 3,250 |
| West Virginia | $22.30 | $46,390 | $18.04 to $36.85 | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $22.96 | $47,750 | $18.70 to $37.27 | 590 |
| Wyoming | $23.35 | $48,570 | $22.17 to $28.00 | 30 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 47-4041, hazardous materials removal workers, all industries. Read from the BLS state and national data files. Counts leave out the self-employed.
From a wage to a price
If you run the business, the wage is only the start. At the national median of $23.78, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) give a rate of $112.35 per billable hour. Try yours in the labor rate calculator.