Forensic Science Jobs & Career Outlook
Best Jobs in Forensic Science

Forensic science jobs & careers are steadily rising. Learn the jobs in forensic science, salary & pay of technicians and how to get a forensic science degree

The fields of crime scene investigation and forensic lab work are continually expanding as the advancement of technologies and science continue to grow.

What does this mean for you?

Well, if you are thinking about beginning a career (or starting anew, as I did) in the criminal justice world, then you have a wide variety of forensic science jobs open to you.

Interested? Keep reading and learn about the different types of forensic science careers that are available, what you might need to do to begin the road to picking one up, and what kind of forensic science salary you may expect to be paid.

Forensic Science Jobs & Career Outlook

Forensic science jobs span an incredibly large spectrum of activities. In general, forensics is the employment of science in legal proceedings, both criminal and civil (despite what popular television may have you believe).

And that is obviously a very broad definition. This is because there are so many specialties within the forensic science world that it would be impossible to define the term by including them all.

Instead, we use forensics as a blanket, or umbrella, term to incorporate all of the fields within it.

Jobs in forensic science include:

DNA Analysis
Fingerprint Technician
Firearms Specialist
Pathology
Psychology
Physiology
Even accounting and much, much more

If you are looking to pick up a forensic science pay check, you can be employed by a variety of different groups and agencies, as well, including:

Regional, State, and Local Labs
District Attorney's Office
Private Firms
Universities and Colleges
Military
FBI
DEA
Customs
United States Postal Service
And more

Find a School!

Think a career in criminology is for you?

Then start here & find a school for you!

The opportunities for getting a job in forensic science is high, as long as you are qualified.

So, what do you need to do to get qualified?

Well, that depends. Many forensic science technicians (low-level) don't need much, if anything, beyond a high school diploma or GED.

But, if you are looking to be a forensic scientist, lab worker, or other specialist, you will most likely have to get a four-year degree in one of the hard sciences (biology, chemistry, etc.) or in criminal justice, forensics, or criminology.

And your options for getting a degree are vast.

If you're like many folks considering a career change, you may want to take a route other than a four-year, campus-based university.

Think about getting your degree online. It's fast, easy, cheap, and doesn't play havoc on your daily life.

Earning a degree from an Internet-based institution is a great way to transition from one life-focus to the next.

Forensic Science Careers: Salaries and Wages

So, you've decided you want to pursue a forensic science career. Great decision!

What will you be paid?

Forensic science salary averages run clear across the gamut from fairly low to pretty high. What you make depends on which field you work in, and how high you rise up the bureaucratic ladder.

Here's a sampling of a few different forensic science jobs and the national average salary of each: