California / Motor Vehicles / Investigator

Job-title file

Investigator

Inspect and investigate for compliance with regulations, document findings, and recommend action.

188 employees hold this title in Motor Vehicles. Median total compensation for the role is $124,758, above the department median of $65,028.

Employees: 188
Total payroll: $21.3M
Role median: $124,758
Agency median: $65,028
Comparison: Above

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$1,500$155,237+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 188 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compare departments

This role across California

Investigator is held in 18 California departments. In Motor Vehicles, the median of $124,758 ranks #7 of 18.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Industrial Relations

$149,812 · 2

Department of Public Health

$132,770 · 50

Employment Development Department

$131,534 · 30

Department of Cannabis Control

$131,334 · 67

Public Employee's Retirement Systems

$131,168 · 9

Department of State Hospitals

$128,938 · 62

Department of Fincl Protctn and Inn

$124,515 · 9

Developmental Services

$124,051 · 18

California State Lottery Community

$118,622 · 40

Toxic Substances Control

$118,490 · 16

Insurance

$117,694 · 165

Department of Health Care Services

$110,516 · 59

Median total compensation for the Investigator role in other Californiadepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Compare jurisdictions

Investigator beyond California

This role is reported in 21 jurisdictions. In California, the median of $118,556 ranks #2 of 21. See Investigator across all of California →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

Los Angeles County

$179,956 · 18

District of Columbia

$106,809 · 328

Chicago Public Schools

$99,274 · 13

City of Chicago

$81,324 · 19

New York Public Authorities

$78,295 · 23

Florida

$71,480 · 350

New Jersey

$69,979 · 104

City of Buffalo

$67,397 · 5

Median total compensation for comparable Investigatorroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Bradley Sandbothe

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$108,887

Base pay: $108,887
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $108,887
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,883
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253068610006
Salary Total: $9,149
Total Pay: $108,887

Bradley Sandbothe works as a Investigator for Motor Vehicles. Their status is full-time. Bradley earned $108,887 in 2025. Union affiliation: R07.

Christopher Paris

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2023 total comp

$108,627

Base pay: $73,164
Overtime: $4,434
Other pay: $31,030
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $108,627
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,711
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253598610015
Salary Total: $10,516
Total Pay: $108,627

Christopher Paris works as a Investigator for Motor Vehicles. Their status is full-time. Christopher earned $108,627 in 2023. They are represented by R07.

Elizabeth Lara

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2024 total comp

$108,549

Base pay: $108,292
Overtime: $237
Other pay: $19
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $108,549
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Los Angeles

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,329
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253318610003
Salary Total: $9,145
Total Pay: $108,549

Elizabeth Lara works as a Investigator for Motor Vehicles. Their status is full-time. Elizabeth earned $108,549 in 2024. Union affiliation: R07.

Andrew De Anda

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2024 total comp

$107,905

Base pay: $107,801
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $104
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,905
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Santa Clara
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,747
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253268610026
Salary Total: $9,184
Total Pay: $107,905

Andrew De Anda works as a Investigator for Motor Vehicles. Their status is full-time. Andrew earned $107,905 in 2024. They are represented by R07.

Samuel Ellinger

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$107,898

Base pay: $102,633
Overtime: $5,265
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,898
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,055
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253068610002
Salary Total: $8,681
Total Pay: $107,898

Samuel Ellinger is a Investigator at Motor Vehicles. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $107,898. Union affiliation: R07.

Alexandria Santos

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2024 total comp

$107,897

Base pay: $107,897
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,897
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,810
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253478610022
Salary Total: $9,251
Total Pay: $107,897

Alexandria Santos is a Investigator at Motor Vehicles. They work full-time. 2024 total compensation came to $107,897. Their bargaining unit is R07.

Daniel Shapiro

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$105,923

Base pay: $103,542
Overtime: $2,382
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $105,923
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,883
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253618610003
Salary Total: $9,149
Total Pay: $105,923

Daniel Shapiro works as a Investigator for Motor Vehicles. Their status is full-time. Daniel earned $105,923 in 2025. They are represented by R07.

Dallas Cates

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$105,798

Base pay: $105,798
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $105,798
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Placer
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,917
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253188610014
Salary Total: $9,185
Total Pay: $105,798

Dallas Cates holds the role of Investigator at Motor Vehicles. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $105,798. Union affiliation: R07.

Exsgar Andrade

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$105,473

Base pay: $105,473
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $105,473
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: U

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,459
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253478610022
Salary Total: $8,713
Total Pay: $105,473

At Motor Vehicles, Exsgar Andrade serves as a Investigator. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $105,473. They are represented by R07.

Andres Gonzales

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2023 total comp

$103,975

Base pay: $96,134
Overtime: $3,330
Other pay: $4,511
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $103,975
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,220
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253658610021
Salary Total: $8,470
Total Pay: $103,975

Andres Gonzales works as a Investigator for Motor Vehicles. Their status is full-time. Andres earned $103,975 in 2023. Their bargaining unit is R07.

Edwin Rivas-Coreas

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$103,543

Base pay: $102,698
Overtime: $845
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $103,543
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Los Angeles
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,055
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253338610005
Salary Total: $8,881
Total Pay: $103,543

At Motor Vehicles, Edwin Rivas-Coreas serves as a Investigator. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $103,543. Union affiliation: R07.

Brian Heinzmann

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$103,492

Base pay: $101,650
Overtime: $446
Other pay: $1,396
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $103,492
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: San Mateo
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,497
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253258610002
Salary Total: $8,752
Total Pay: $103,492

At Motor Vehicles, Brian Heinzmann serves as a Investigator. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $103,492. Union affiliation: R07.

Tyler Barshow

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2023 total comp

$102,780

Base pay: $102,780
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $102,780
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Santa Cruz
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,068
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253268610006
Salary Total: $9,143
Total Pay: $102,780

Tyler Barshow holds the role of Investigator at Motor Vehicles. Their status is full-time. In 2023, their total compensation was $102,780. Their bargaining unit is R07.

Juan Paolo Estagle

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$102,775

Base pay: $102,775
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $102,775
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Los Angeles
Middle name: F

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,492
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253318610002
Salary Total: $8,734
Total Pay: $102,775

Juan Paolo Estagle is a Investigator at Motor Vehicles. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $102,775. They are represented by R07.

Michelle Ross

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$102,730

Base pay: $102,260
Overtime: $470
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $102,730
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: San Diego

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,152
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253598610008
Salary Total: $8,884
Total Pay: $102,730

Michelle Ross is a Investigator at Motor Vehicles. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $102,730. Their bargaining unit is R07.

Robert Waybright

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$102,680

Base pay: $102,269
Overtime: $340
Other pay: $71
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $102,680
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Santa Clara
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,834
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253478610028
Salary Total: $10,129
Total Pay: $102,680

Robert Waybright holds the role of Investigator at Motor Vehicles. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $102,680. They are represented by R07.

Matthew Ewing

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$102,677

Base pay: $102,677
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $102,677
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Sacramento

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,558
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253068610011
Salary Total: $8,815
Total Pay: $102,677

Matthew Ewing works as a Investigator for Motor Vehicles. Their status is full-time. Matthew earned $102,677 in 2025. Union affiliation: R07.

Tara Luna

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$102,639

Base pay: $101,960
Overtime: $658
Other pay: $21
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $102,639
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,558
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253658610015
Salary Total: $8,986
Total Pay: $102,639

Tara Luna holds the role of Investigator at Motor Vehicles. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $102,639. They are represented by R07.

Jose Ambriz-Corona

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$102,185

Base pay: $102,185
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $102,185
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Sacramento

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,669
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253068610007
Salary Total: $8,712
Total Pay: $102,185

At Motor Vehicles, Jose Ambriz-Corona serves as a Investigator. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $102,185. Their bargaining unit is R07.

Princess Madrigal-Marquez

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$101,900

Base pay: $101,900
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $101,900
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,882
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253478610029
Salary Total: $8,904
Total Pay: $101,900

Princess Madrigal-Marquez is a Investigator at Motor Vehicles. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $101,900. They are represented by R07.

Alma Villarreal

Investigator/Motor Vehicles

2025 total comp

$101,857

Base pay: $100,630
Overtime: $1,227
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $101,857
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R07
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,671
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5253618610004
Salary Total: $8,669
Total Pay: $101,857

Alma Villarreal is a Investigator at Motor Vehicles. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $101,857. Their bargaining unit is R07.