Life & Physical Science
Forensic Science Technicians
SOC 19-4092
Collect and analyze physical evidence to support criminal investigations.
The job
Median pay
$72k
$58k to $95k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+13% projected
Openings a year
3k
BLS projection
Typical education
Bachelor's
Our model
AI displacement risk
Moderate
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
6/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
15th pct
More exposed than 15% of occupations · modeled estimate · 64th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
66/100
Key skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,800 | 0.2 | 1.3× | $102k |
| Florida | 1,920 | 0.2 | 1.6× | $64k |
| Texas | 1,900 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $60k |
| New York | 1,140 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $82k |
| Arizona | 900 | 0.3 | 2.3× | $63k |
| Virginia | 770 | 0.2 | 1.5× | $69k |
| Michigan | 650 | 0.1 | 1.2× | $67k~ |
| Georgia | 550 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $64k |
| North Carolina | 520 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $59k |
| Colorado | 510 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $84k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 470 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $69k~ |
| Maryland | 460 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $82k |
| Washington | 390 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $81k |
| Illinois | 370 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $125k |
| Nevada | 360 | 0.2 | 1.9× | $81k |
| Pennsylvania | 360 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $62k |
| Missouri | 350 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $63k |
| Indiana | 320 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $67k |
| Wisconsin | 310 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $72k |
| Tennessee | 300 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $71k |
| Massachusetts | 290 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $79k |
| Louisiana | 240 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $66k~ |
| Washington DC | 231 | 0.3 | 2.7× | $112k~ |
| Utah | 220 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $67k |
| New Mexico | 200 | 0.2 | 1.9× | $66k |
| Kansas | 163 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $63k~ |
| Alabama | 160 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $60k |
| Idaho | 160 | 0.2 | 1.5× | $71k |
| South Carolina | 160 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $52k |
| Nebraska | 150 | 0.1 | 1.2× | $66k |
| Minnesota | 140 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $77k |
| Mississippi | 140 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $53k |
| Iowa | 130 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $67k |
| Connecticut | 120 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $86k |
| Oklahoma | 110 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $66k |
| Oregon | 110 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $81k |
| West Virginia | 110 | 0.2 | 1.3× | $63k |
| Arkansas | 100 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $45k |
| Hawaii | 98 | 0.2 | 1.3× | $65k~ |
| Alaska | 90 | 0.3 | 2.3× | $75k~ |
| Wyoming | 90 | 0.3 | 2.6× | $52k |
| Delaware | 80 | 0.2 | 1.3× | $74k~ |
| New Hampshire | 78 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $69k~ |
| Kentucky | 60 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $61k |
| Montana | 60 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $82k |
| New Jersey | 60 | 0.0 | 0.1× | $63k |
| Rhode Island | 56 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $78k~ |
| Maine | 40 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $71k |
| North Dakota | 40 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $71k |
| South Dakota | 30 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $52k |
| Vermont | 30 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $74k |
Top metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA1,170 jobs · $104k median
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ800 jobs · $82k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV660 jobs · $85k median
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ620 jobs · $65k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX590 jobs · $57k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL490 jobs · $78k median
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL380 jobs · $65k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA370 jobs · $64k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Forensic Science Technicians interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.