Career Discovery Tool
Your email has not been verified. Verify email now ›

Forensic Science Technician

Overview and Key Facts

two women in coats
Education
Education
Bachelor's degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$67,440
Job Growth
Job Growth
12.80%
(Above US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
23,300

What Do They Do?

A forensic science technician could...

 
gun
Run ballistics tests on guns to find the one used in a bank robbery.
forensic scientist collecting evidence from a police crime scene
Collect evidence from a crime scene to help understand the chain of events.
lab
Match DNA samples to reunite a long lost child with her family.
fingerprint
Solve a crime by matching fingerprints at the crime scene to a suspect.
 
gun forensic scientist collecting evidence from a police crime scene lab fingerprint

Overview Listen to this section

Guilty or not guilty? The fate of the accused in court lies with the evidence gathered at the crime scene. The job of the forensic science technician is to gather evidence and use scientific principles and techniques to make sense of it. It can be a grueling and graphic job, but very rewarding. If you like the idea of using science to help deliver justice, then you should investigate this career.
Find out how forensic science technicians can choose to focus on investigating crime scenes, doing lab tests, or analyzing computer evidence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0avxorvSOM

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Forensic Science Technician?


  1. Writing: ?
  2. Active Listening: ?
  3. Speaking: ?
  4. Reading Comprehension: ?
  5. Critical Thinking: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Forensic Science Technician might do:
  • Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity.
  • Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques.
  • Use photographic or video equipment to document evidence or crime scenes.
  • Testify in court about investigative or analytical methods or findings.
  • Use chemicals or other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases.
  • Measure and sketch crime scenes to document evidence.
  • Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations.
  • Train new technicians or other personnel on forensic science techniques.
  • Operate and maintain laboratory equipment and apparatus.
  • Collect impressions of dust from surfaces to obtain and identify fingerprints.
  • Examine and analyze blood stain patterns at crime scenes.
  • Analyze gunshot residue and bullet paths to determine how shootings occurred.
  • Confer with ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, documents, electronics, medical, chemical, or metallurgical experts concerning evidence and its interpretation.
  • Prepare solutions, reagents, or sample formulations needed for laboratory work.
  • Examine footwear, tire tracks, or other types of impressions.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state
No data available for some states (white on the map)

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Forensic Science Technician Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Forensic Science Technician jobs (12.80%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Forensic Science Technician

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

Forensic science technicians usually need a bachelor's degree to qualify for entry-level positions.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Bachelor's degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

Forensic science positions typically require a bachelor's degree to work in the field. Knowledge and understanding of legal procedures also can be helpful. Job candidates who have extensive hands-on experience with a variety of laboratory equipment, including computers and related equipment, usually require a short period of on-the-job training.

Approximately 30 colleges and universities offer a bachelor's degree program in forensic science; about another 25 schools offer a bachelor's degree in a natural science with an emphasis on forensic science or criminology; a few additional schools offer a bachelor's degree with an emphasis in a specialty area, such as criminology, pathology, jurisprudence, investigation' odontology, toxicology, or forensic accounting.

People interested in careers as forensic science technicians should take as many high school science and math courses as possible. Science courses taken beyond high school, in an associate or bachelor's degree program, should be laboratory oriented, with an emphasis on bench skills. A solid background in applied chemistry, physics, and math is vital.

Companies That Hire Forensic Science Technicians

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

In this interview, meet a team of crime scene investigators and forensic science technicians precisely using science to make Wilmington, NC, safer.
I have been dispatched to a house where the complainant believed they may have found a jar full of human fingers, though after examining the contents, it was determined the fingers were actually props. 
Jaclyn Smith, Crime Scence Investigator

Nature of the Work

Forensic science technicians investigate crimes by collecting and analyzing physical evidence. Often, they specialize in areas such as DNA analysis or firearm examination, performing tests on weapons or on substances such as fiber, glass, hair, tissue, and body fluids to determine their significance to the investigation. Proper collection and storage methods are important to protect the evidence. Forensic science technicians also prepare reports to document their findings and the laboratory techniques used, and they may provide information and expert opinions to investigators. When criminal cases come to trial, forensic science technicians often give testimony as expert witnesses on laboratory findings by identifying and classifying substances, materials, and other evidence collected at the scene of a crime. Some forensic science technicians work closely with other experts or technicians. For example, a forensic science technician may consult either a medical expert about the exact time and cause of a death, or another technician who specializes in DNA typing in hopes of matching a DNA type to a suspect.

Work Environment

Forensic science technicians work under a wide variety of conditions. Most work indoors, usually in laboratories, and have regular hours. Some occasionally work irregular hours in order to collect data from crime scenes.

Advances in automation and information technology require technicians to operate more-sophisticated laboratory equipment. Forensic science technicians make extensive use of computers, electronic measuring equipment, and traditional experimental apparatus.

Some science technicians might be exposed to hazards from equipment, chemicals, or toxic materials. Forensic science technicians often are exposed to human body fluids and firearms. However, these working conditions pose little risk if proper safety procedures are followed. For forensic science technicians, collecting evidence from crime scenes can be distressing and unpleasant.

More Information

Ask Questions

Do you have a specific question about a career as a Forensic Science Technician that isn't answered on this page? Post your question on the Science Buddies Ask an Expert Forum.

Sources

Top
Quick Links X
Free science fair projects.