Forensic Science Technician Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of forensic science technicians to grow 13.3% from 2025 to 2035 (about 2,700 more jobs), with about 2,800 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $72,060 a year ranks 305th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +13.3%
- Openings a year
- 2,800
- Median pay
- $72,060
- Pay rank
- 305th of 825
Is employment of forensic science technicians growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of forensic science technicians to rise 13.3% (about 2,700 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +7.6% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 48 life, physical, and social science occupations with a projection. That change ranks 30th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 20,100 |
| Employment, 2035 | 22,800 |
| Projected change | +13.3% |
| Openings a year | 2,800 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 20,100 jobs here differ from the 19,120 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 2,800 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 488th most of 830 occupations. About 90% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 270 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for forensic science technicians rank?
The median of $72,060 a year ranks 305th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | +6.9% | 5,300 | $55,090 |
| Microbiologists | +6.2% | 1,500 | $87,990 |
| Nuclear Technicians | +1.1% | 900 | $110,240 |
| Biological Technicians | +7.4% | 9,400 | $57,510 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | +0.2% | 7,800 | $93,790 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | +5.1% | 27,000 | $116,580 |
| Compliance Officers | +3.8% | 32,700 | $80,730 |
| Private Detectives and Investigators | +5.5% | 3,200 | $51,220 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.