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.
Also known as: Ballistician, Ballistics Technician (Ballistics Tech), Biometric Fingerprint Technician (Biometric Fingerprint Tech), Biometric Fingerprinting Technician (Biometric Fingerprinting Tech), Biometrician, Blood Splatter Analyst, Computer Forensics Technician (Computer Forensics Tech), Crime Analyst, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Much faster than average)
What You'd Do
- 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.
- Confer with ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, documents, electronics, medical, chemical, or metallurgical experts concerning evidence and its interpretation.
- Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques.
- Use chemicals or other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases.
- Train new technicians or other personnel on forensic science techniques.
- Examine and analyze blood stain patterns at crime scenes.
- Use photographic or video equipment to document evidence or crime scenes.
- Measure and sketch crime scenes to document evidence.
- Examine footwear, tire tracks, or other types of impressions.
- Interpret laboratory findings or test results to identify and classify substances, materials, or other evidence collected at crime scenes.
- Identify and quantify drugs or poisons found in biological fluids or tissues, in foods, or at crime scenes.
- Reconstruct crime scenes to determine relationships among pieces of evidence.
- Examine firearms to determine mechanical condition and legal status, performing restoration work on damaged firearms to obtain information, such as serial numbers.
- Compare objects, such as tools, with impression marks to determine whether a specific object is responsible for a specific mark.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
Related Careers
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.