By: All Criminal Justice Schools Staff
Updated: January 7, 2026
Salary and benefits in forensic science
Thinking about a career in forensic science? Forensics has fulfilling jobs at each education level, making it accessible for many learners. This is great news for the industry, as the need for forensic science technicians is expected to grow by 12.8% over the next decade, faster than average.
In this article
Forensic science technician salary by state
This job typically requires a bachelor’s degree for entry, but this requirement varies based on the lab and the specialty.
Is the forensics job I’m looking at technically a “Forensic science technician”?
It’s very possible, particularly if the education required is at the bachelor level. The BLS classifies a great number of forensics jobs under “forensic science technician”:
- Ballistics experts
- Ballistics technicians
- Crime lab technicians
- Crime scene investigators
- Crime scene technicians
- Criminalists
- Criminalist technicians
- Digital forensics analysts
- Evidence technicians
- Fingerprint experts
- Forensic computer examiners
- Forensic photographers
- Handwriting experts
- Latent print examiners
- Medicolegal investigators
- Property and evidence custodians
- Trace evidence technicians
- Wildlife forensic geneticists
Top 15 metro areas for forensic science technicians
Forensic science technician salaries vary with metropolitan areas as well. Usually because of factors like demand and cost of living, the salaries in cities can be a little higher than the surrounding areas.
What benefits can forensic scientists expect?
The field of forensic science generally offers a typical benefits package, including paid time off, sick time, holidays, health insurance, life insurance, and more. They also usually include retirement planning benefits like 401K matches. 62% of forensic science technician positions are with local governments according to the BLS, meaning these positions are often city employees with city employee benefits. Each local government varies in what it offers, but knowing where you intend to apply can help you look up benefits that might be accessible with the position.
Other forensic science jobs and their salaries
Some specialized forensic jobs can be classified by the BLS under a different job than forensic science technician. These titles include forensic chemists, forensic psychologists, medical examiners (pathologists), and more.