Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Above-baseline growth SOC 19-4092

Forensic Science Technicians

Projected +13% employment change leads this card; pay sits next to Political Scientists, Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists, Psychologists, All Other.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Forensic Science Technicians: Political Scientists ($142K) , Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($101K) , Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists ($103K) , Psychologists, All Other ($111K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Forensic Science Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-4092 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity
  2. 2. Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques
  3. 3. Use photographic or video equipment to document evidence or crime scenes
  4. 4. Testify in court about investigative or analytical methods or findings
  5. 5. Use chemicals or other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases
  6. 6. Measure and sketch crime scenes to document evidence
  7. 7. Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations
  8. 8. Train new technicians or other personnel on forensic science techniques
  9. 9. Operate and maintain laboratory equipment and apparatus
  10. 10. Examine physical evidence, such as hair, biological fluids, fiber, wood, or soil residues to obtain information about its source and comp…
  11. 11. Collect impressions of dust from surfaces to obtain and identify fingerprints
  12. 12. Reconstruct crime scenes to determine relationships among pieces of evidence

Forensic Science Technicians: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-4092 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Law and Government. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  2. 2. Active Listening 4.0
  3. 3. Writing 4.0
  4. 4. Speaking 4.0
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 4.0
  6. 6. Complex Problem Solving 3.6
  7. 7. Active Learning 3.4
  8. 8. Science 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Law and Government 4.5
  2. 2. Public Safety and Security 4.2
  3. 3. Education and Training 3.7
  4. 4. English Language 3.6
  5. 5. Computers and Electronics 3.4
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 3.3
Projected employment change 2024-2034
↑ +13%
much faster than average (3.1%)
National median $72,060/yr
$72K
National median
2,900
Annual openings
19,120
Estimated US jobs
Political Scientists
Highest-pay peer · $142K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Forensic Science Technicians

1. California $102,100
2. Colorado $84,010
3. Washington $81,310
4. Montana $82,200
5. Oregon $80,950
6. Illinois $124,790
7. Connecticut $85,910
8. New York $81,670
9. Nevada $81,090
10. Maryland $82,140

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $103,410
  2. 2. Psychologists, All Other $110,840
  3. 3. Nuclear Technicians $110,240
  4. 4. Political Scientists $142,080
  5. 5. Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $100,580
  6. 6. Economists $124,720

BLS projects +13% employment change for Forensic Science Technicians (2024-2034), much faster than average vs the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. Published median pay is $72,060.

BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical entry education. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal employer rules. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: California at $102,100. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Political Scientists at $142,080. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Forensic Science Technicians pay-rank #34 in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

On the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table (48 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Forensic Science Technicians lands at #34, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Projected change +12.8% puts Forensic Science Technicians ahead of most peers. Open the state map or compare it directly against a slower-growing role.

Forensic Science Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 19-4092

California · top state for Forensic Science Technicians

$102K published median

Colorado · #2 state pay

$84K · behind California

Political Scientists

Highest-pay peer vs Forensic Science Technicians · $142K

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

Lower-pay peer beside Forensic Science Technicians · $101K

Compare Forensic Science Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Forensic Science Technicians with another occupation →

Growth and outlook next reads

Fastest-Growing Rankings

National projection leaders

Highest-Paying Careers

Where growth meets pay

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Forensic Science Technicians land on the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table? ▼
Forensic Science Technicians is pay-rank #34 of 48 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Conservation Scientists ($73K), Anthropologists and Archeologists ($71K), Survey Researchers ($69K), Animal Scientists ($69K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do forensic science technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Forensic Science Technicians. Leading ones include: Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity; Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques; Use photographic or video equipment to document evidence or crime scenes; Testify in court about investigative or analytical methods or findings. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for forensic science technicians? ▼
For SOC 19-4092, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.0), Active Listening (4.0), Writing (4.0), Speaking (4.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Law and Government, Public Safety and Security, Education and Training. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Forensic Science Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $72,060 as the national median for Forensic Science Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $48,250 to $117,250. Beside Political Scientists ($142,080), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
How fast is Forensic Science Technicians projected to grow? ▼
BLS Employment Projections put Forensic Science Technicians at +13% change for 2024-2034, with about 2,900 annual openings. Versus the all-occupations baseline (3.1%): much faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Forensic Science Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Forensic Science Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Forensic Science Technicians? ▼
California ($102,100), Colorado ($84,010), Washington ($81,310) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Forensic Science Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-4092. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Forensic Science Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics