SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 19-4092.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $48,250 | $4,021 | $928 | $23.20 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $57,830 | $4,819 | $1,112 | $27.81 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $72,060 | $6,005 | $1,386 | $34.65 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $94,520 | $7,877 | $1,818 | $45.44 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $117,250 | $9,771 | $2,255 | $56.37 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Forensic Science Technicians is $72,060, which is 41% higher. Among the 48 occupations of the field Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks number 34 by median pay. With 19,120 jobs, it makes up about 1.2 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Forensic Science Technicians pay by state
The highest median pay was in Illinois ($124,790), California ($102,100) and Connecticut ($85,910). The lowest was in Arkansas ($44,670), South Dakota ($51,690) and South Carolina ($51,830). The most jobs were in California (2,800), Florida (1,920) and Texas (1,900). The occupation is most concentrated in Wyoming, where its share of all jobs is 2.5 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 370 | $124,790 | $108,760 | $60.00 |
| California | 2,800 | $102,100 | $104,960 | $49.09 |
| Connecticut | 120 | $85,910 | $83,340 | $41.30 |
| Colorado | 510 | $84,010 | $89,400 | $40.39 |
| Montana | 60 | $82,200 | $77,470 | $39.52 |
| Maryland | 460 | $82,140 | $88,980 | $39.49 |
| New York | 1,140 | $81,670 | $84,050 | $39.27 |
| Washington | 390 | $81,310 | $85,260 | $39.09 |
| Nevada | 360 | $81,090 | $86,640 | $38.99 |
| Oregon | 110 | $80,950 | $84,800 | $38.92 |
| Massachusetts | 290 | $79,320 | $86,260 | $38.14 |
| Minnesota | 140 | $76,960 | $78,780 | $37.00 |
| Vermont | 30 | $74,110 | $75,550 | $35.63 |
| Wisconsin | 310 | $72,280 | $72,110 | $34.75 |
| Idaho | 160 | $71,160 | $77,120 | $34.21 |
| North Dakota | 40 | $71,090 | $76,750 | $34.18 |
| Maine | 40 | $70,870 | $65,040 | $34.07 |
| Tennessee | 300 | $70,500 | $75,770 | $33.90 |
| Virginia | 770 | $68,900 | $80,370 | $33.12 |
| Iowa | 130 | $67,060 | $67,980 | $32.24 |
| Utah | 220 | $66,780 | $69,720 | $32.11 |
| Indiana | 320 | $66,520 | $70,400 | $31.98 |
| Oklahoma | 110 | $65,940 | $67,950 | $31.70 |
| Nebraska | 150 | $65,920 | $65,470 | $31.69 |
| New Mexico | 200 | $65,570 | $70,830 | $31.52 |
| Florida | 1,920 | $64,140 | $67,390 | $30.84 |
| Georgia | 550 | $63,600 | $65,870 | $30.58 |
| West Virginia | 110 | $63,330 | $62,840 | $30.45 |
| Arizona | 900 | $63,250 | $72,120 | $30.41 |
| New Jersey | 60 | $63,220 | $64,370 | $30.39 |
| Missouri | 350 | $62,750 | $66,900 | $30.17 |
| Pennsylvania | 360 | $61,580 | $67,610 | $29.60 |
| Kentucky | 60 | $61,470 | $60,590 | $29.56 |
| Texas | 1,900 | $59,870 | $61,530 | $28.79 |
| Alabama | 160 | $59,560 | $63,470 | $28.64 |
| North Carolina | 520 | $59,240 | $60,930 | $28.48 |
| Mississippi | 140 | $52,850 | $57,650 | $25.41 |
| Wyoming | 90 | $52,100 | $56,990 | $25.05 |
| South Carolina | 160 | $51,830 | $53,750 | $24.92 |
| South Dakota | 30 | $51,690 | $54,770 | $24.85 |
| Arkansas | 100 | $44,670 | $48,750 | $21.48 |
| Louisiana | 240 | not published | not published | not published |
| Michigan | 650 | not published | not published | not published |
| Ohio | 470 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Historians$76,750 a year
- Foresters$76,400 a year
- Conservation Scientists$73,010 a year
- Anthropologists and Archeologists$70,770 a year
- Survey Researchers$69,460 a year
- Animal Scientists$68,940 a year
Common questions
How much do Forensic Science Technicians earn in the United States?
The median pay was $72,060 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $48,250 and the highest-paid 10% more than $117,250.
How many people work as Forensic Science Technicians?
About 19,120 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.