Forensic Science Technicians
Collect, identify, classify, and analyze physical evidence related to criminal investigations. Perform tests on weapons or substances, such as fiber, hair, and tissue to determine significance to investigation. May testify as expert witnesses on evidence or crime laboratory techniques. May serve as specialists in area of expertise, such as ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, or biochemistry.
- Median pay
- $72,060
- Doing it now
- 20,100
- By 2035
- Up 13.3%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
2,800 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Testify in court about investigative or analytical methods or findings.
- Operate and maintain laboratory equipment and apparatus.
- Prepare solutions, reagents, or sample formulations needed for laboratory work.
- Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity.
- Collect impressions of dust from surfaces to obtain and identify fingerprints.
- Analyze gunshot residue and bullet paths to determine how shootings occurred.
- Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Biology, GeneralSee 1,382 colleges that teach it
- ChemistrySee 1,170 colleges that teach it
- Criminal Justice and CorrectionsSee 956 colleges that teach it
- AnthropologySee 465 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Analytical and curious
Hands-on and practical
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $72,060 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.