19 Series · SOC 19-4092
Forensic Science Technicians Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $72,060
- Median / year
- +6.9%
- 2024→2025
- $117,250
- Top 10% earn
- +12.8%
- Growth '24–'34
- 19,120
- Estimated US jobs
Forensic Science Technicians earn a median of $72,060 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $72,060, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $48,250 (10th percentile) to $117,250 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 19,120 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is Illinois ($124,790).
The pay verdict
Forensic Science Technicians earn a median of $72,060, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 63% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks #34 of 48 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 12.8% by 2034.
- $72,060
- Median annual wage
- Top 37%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #34 of 48
- in Life, Physical, and Social Science
- 2.4×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Illinois at $124,790. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Forensic Science Technicians moved from $59,150 in May 2019 to $72,060 in May 2025 (+21.8%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Forensic Science Technicians sits -2.6 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Forensic Science Technicians (SOC 19-4092) has a national median of $72,060 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $48,250 to $117,250, and the published mean is $79,200. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 19,120 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 41 state or territory areas and 96 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $67,440 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $72,060 in May 2025, a rise of $4,620 (+6.9%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +12.8% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as much faster than average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 2,900 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry, and BLS classifies its typical on-the-job preparation as moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Illinois pays the highest state median at $124,790, which is +73% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $137,280. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$72,060
per year
Median Hourly
$34.65/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$79,200
average
Employment
19,120
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Forensic Science Technicians pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$72,060 Top 37% higher than 63% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 (this entry) | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$72,060 · 63rd percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 19-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Forensic Science Technicians; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Medical Scientists, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $103410
- Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.5%, Median annual wage $90150
- Environmental Scient…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $82220
- Chemists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.9%, Median annual wage $91240
- Clinical and Counsel…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11.2%, Median annual wage $100580
- Life, Physical, and …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $62280
- Biological Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $57510
- School Psychologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.7%, Median annual wage $95990
- Chemical Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $60390
- Biological Scientist…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.2%, Median annual wage $98920
- Urban and Regional P…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $89320
- Social Scientists an…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.7%, Median annual wage $101110
- Environmental Scienc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $55090
- Biochemists and Biop…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.8%, Median annual wage $127410
- Social Science Resea…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $61990
- Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.5%, Median annual wage $61560
- Forest and Conservat…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -3.2%, Median annual wage $54560
- Conservation Scienti…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $73010
- Geoscientists, Excep…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $101920
- Physical Scientists,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $122570
- Physicists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $172250
- Forensic Science Tec…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.8%, Median annual wage $72060
- Microbiologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $87990
- Psychologists, All O…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.3%, Median annual wage $110840
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+12.8%
Much faster than average
Annual Openings
2,900
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+2,600
20,700 (2024) → 23,300 (2034)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
1.5/100K
Injury Rate
0.7/100
Danger Index
3.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Forensic Science Technicians roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Use chemicals or other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases.
- ▸ Measure and sketch crime scenes to document evidence.
- ▸ Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations.
- ▸ Train new technicians or other personnel on forensic science techniques.
- ▸ Operate and maintain laboratory equipment and apparatus.
- ▸ Examine physical evidence, such as hair, biological fluids, fiber, wood, or soil residues to obtain information about its source and composition.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Forensic Science Technicians pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $56,320 |
| 2016 | $56,750 |
| 2017 | $57,850 |
| 2018 | $58,230 |
| 2019 | $59,150 |
| 2020 | $60,590 |
| 2021 | $61,930 |
| 2022 | $63,740 |
| 2023 | $64,940 |
| 2024 | $67,440 |
| 2025 | $72,060 |
2015 median
$56,320
2025 median
$72,060
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$12,910 (+21.8%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+3.3%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $56,320 | First banked release | 14,070 |
| May 2016 | $56,750 | +0.8% | 14,800 |
| May 2017 | $57,850 | +1.9% | 15,070 |
| May 2018 | $58,230 | +0.7% | 15,970 |
| May 2019 | $59,150 | Classification break | 16,520 |
| May 2020 | $60,590 | +2.4% | 16,640 |
| May 2021 | $61,930 | +2.2% | 17,020 |
| May 2022 | $63,740 | +2.9% | 17,590 |
| May 2023 | $64,940 | +1.9% | 17,520 |
| May 2024 | $67,440 | +3.8% | 19,450 |
| May 2025 | $72,060 | +6.9% | 19,120 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $56,320 in May 2015 to $72,060 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +3.3% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 16,520 in May 2019 to 19,120 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 41 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | $124,790 | +73% above national |
| 2 | California | $102,100 | +42% above national |
| 3 | Connecticut | $85,910 | +19% above national |
| 4 | Colorado | $84,010 | +17% above national |
| 5 | Montana | $82,200 | +14% above national |
| 6 | Maryland | $82,140 | +14% above national |
| 7 | New York | $81,670 | +13% above national |
| 8 | Washington | $81,310 | +13% above national |
| 9 | Nevada | $81,090 | +13% above national |
| 10 | Oregon | $80,950 | +12% above national |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $79,320 | +10% above national |
| 12 | Minnesota | $76,960 | +7% above national |
| 13 | Vermont | $74,110 | +3% above national |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $72,280 | same as national |
| 15 | Idaho | $71,160 | 1% below national |
| 16 | North Dakota | $71,090 | 1% below national |
| 17 | Maine | $70,870 | 2% below national |
| 18 | Tennessee | $70,500 | 2% below national |
| 19 | Virginia | $68,900 | 4% below national |
| 20 | Iowa | $67,060 | 7% below national |
| 21 | Utah | $66,780 | 7% below national |
| 22 | Indiana | $66,520 | 8% below national |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $65,940 | 8% below national |
| 24 | Nebraska | $65,920 | 9% below national |
| 25 | New Mexico | $65,570 | 9% below national |
| 26 | Florida | $64,140 | 11% below national |
| 27 | Georgia | $63,600 | 12% below national |
| 28 | West Virginia | $63,330 | 12% below national |
| 29 | Arizona | $63,250 | 12% below national |
| 30 | New Jersey | $63,220 | 12% below national |
| 31 | Missouri | $62,750 | 13% below national |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $61,580 | 15% below national |
| 33 | Kentucky | $61,470 | 15% below national |
| 34 | Texas | $59,870 | 17% below national |
| 35 | Alabama | $59,560 | 17% below national |
| 36 | North Carolina | $59,240 | 18% below national |
| 37 | Mississippi | $52,850 | 27% below national |
| 38 | Wyoming | $52,100 | 28% below national |
| 39 | South Carolina | $51,830 | 28% below national |
| 40 | South Dakota | $51,690 | 28% below national |
| 41 | Arkansas | $44,670 | 38% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 92 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $137,280 | +91% above national |
| 2 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $112,790 | +57% above national |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $109,930 | +53% above national |
| 4 | Akron, OH | $106,330 | +48% above national |
| 5 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $105,320 | +46% above national |
| 6 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $104,410 | +45% above national |
| 7 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $102,810 | +43% above national |
| 8 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $101,780 | +41% above national |
| 9 | New Haven, CT | $98,250 | +36% above national |
| 10 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $95,460 | +32% above national |
| 11 | Toledo, OH | $95,330 | +32% above national |
| 12 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $88,670 | +23% above national |
| 13 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $87,460 | +21% above national |
| 14 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $87,280 | +21% above national |
| 15 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $87,170 | +21% above national |
| 16 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $87,020 | +21% above national |
| 17 | Topeka, KS | $86,670 | +20% above national |
| 18 | Fresno, CA | $85,200 | +18% above national |
| 19 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $85,070 | +18% above national |
| 20 | Colorado Springs, CO | $84,010 | +17% above national |
| 21 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $82,320 | +14% above national |
| 22 | Missoula, MT | $82,200 | +14% above national |
| 23 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $82,040 | +14% above national |
| 24 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $81,930 | +14% above national |
| 25 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $81,780 | +13% above national |
| 26 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $81,670 | +13% above national |
| 27 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $79,970 | +11% above national |
| 28 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $79,320 | +10% above national |
| 29 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $78,480 | +9% above national |
| 30 | Columbus, OH | $78,170 | +8% above national |
| 31 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $77,820 | +8% above national |
| 32 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $77,630 | +8% above national |
| 33 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $76,960 | +7% above national |
| 34 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $76,230 | +6% above national |
| 35 | Boise City, ID | $75,460 | +5% above national |
| 36 | Jackson, TN | $74,020 | +3% above national |
| 37 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $73,740 | +2% above national |
| 38 | Fort Wayne, IN | $72,510 | +1% above national |
| 39 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $71,780 | same as national |
| 40 | Madison, WI | $71,470 | 1% below national |
| 41 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $71,160 | 1% below national |
| 42 | Knoxville, TN | $70,500 | 2% below national |
| 43 | Richmond, VA | $70,160 | 3% below national |
| 44 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $70,130 | 3% below national |
| 45 | Oklahoma City, OK | $69,390 | 4% below national |
| 46 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $67,750 | 6% below national |
| 47 | Cheyenne, WY | $67,640 | 6% below national |
| 48 | Birmingham, AL | $67,340 | 7% below national |
| 49 | Omaha, NE-IA | $67,160 | 7% below national |
| 50 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $66,440 | 8% below national |
| 51 | Rochester, NY | $66,340 | 8% below national |
| 52 | Roanoke, VA | $65,620 | 9% below national |
| 53 | Baton Rouge, LA | $65,240 | 9% below national |
| 54 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $65,230 | 9% below national |
| 55 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $65,220 | 9% below national |
| 56 | Charleston, WV | $63,920 | 11% below national |
| 57 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $63,840 | 11% below national |
| 58 | Savannah, GA | $63,840 | 11% below national |
| 59 | Wichita, KS | $63,420 | 12% below national |
| 60 | Bismarck, ND | $63,360 | 12% below national |
| 61 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $63,150 | 12% below national |
| 62 | Jackson, MS | $63,040 | 13% below national |
| 63 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $62,790 | 13% below national |
| 64 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $62,760 | 13% below national |
| 65 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $62,270 | 14% below national |
| 66 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $62,160 | 14% below national |
| 67 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $62,120 | 14% below national |
| 68 | Lincoln, NE | $61,680 | 14% below national |
| 69 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $61,580 | 15% below national |
| 70 | Tucson, AZ | $61,380 | 15% below national |
| 71 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $61,130 | 15% below national |
| 72 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $60,740 | 16% below national |
| 73 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $59,950 | 17% below national |
| 74 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $59,660 | 17% below national |
| 75 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $59,240 | 18% below national |
| 76 | Jacksonville, FL | $59,020 | 18% below national |
| 77 | El Paso, TX | $58,890 | 18% below national |
| 78 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $57,820 | 20% below national |
| 79 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $57,470 | 20% below national |
| 80 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $57,180 | 21% below national |
| 81 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $55,820 | 23% below national |
| 82 | Tallahassee, FL | $55,620 | 23% below national |
| 83 | Pittsburgh, PA | $55,380 | 23% below national |
| 84 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $55,150 | 23% below national |
| 85 | Lubbock, TX | $54,970 | 24% below national |
| 86 | Corpus Christi, TX | $51,710 | 28% below national |
| 87 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $51,330 | 29% below national |
| 88 | Asheville, NC | $51,050 | 29% below national |
| 89 | Fayetteville, NC | $49,670 | 31% below national |
| 90 | Columbia, SC | $45,990 | 36% below national |
| 91 | Winston-Salem, NC | $45,950 | 36% below national |
| 92 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $43,800 | 39% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 19 (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Agricultural Technicians
SOC 19-4012
Animal Scientists
SOC 19-1011
Anthropologists and Archeologists
SOC 19-3091
Astronomers
SOC 19-2011
Atmospheric and Space Scientists
SOC 19-2021
Showing 5 of 47 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($72,060 here) and reported employment (19,120 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Forensic Science Technicians make? ▼
Where does Forensic Science Technicians pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Forensic Science Technicians the most? ▼
What education do Forensic Science Technicians need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Forensic Science Technicians? ▼
Is Forensic Science Technicians a good career? ▼
How does Forensic Science Technicians pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Forensic Science Technicians? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Forensic Science Technicians pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $94,520/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Illinois leads at $124,790/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.