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Forensic Science Technicians

Also called: Crime Scene Technician (Crime Scene Tech), Criminalist, CSI (Crime Scene Investigator), Forensic Scientist

Collect, identify, classify, and analyze physical evidence related to criminal investigations. Perform tests on weapons or substances, such as fiber, hair, and tissue to determine significance to investigation. May testify as expert witnesses on evidence or crime laboratory techniques. May serve as specialists in area of expertise, such as ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, or biochemistry.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$72,060
Openings a year BLS, 2025–352,800
Typical education to start BLSBachelor's degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 High
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +13.3%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 7 of its 20 rated tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 13.3% by 2035. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 3.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other life, physical, and social science technicians”
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 94% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 63% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$45k$125knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$59,560$49,000 to $74,290160
Arizona$63,250$51,730 to $84,600900
Arkansas$44,670$41,280 to $50,520100
California$102,100$80,810 to $132,8102,800
Colorado$84,010$71,850 to $105,350510
Connecticut$85,910$66,150 to $104,800120
Florida$64,140$52,010 to $80,6001,920
Georgia$63,600$48,810 to $75,390550
Idaho$71,160$58,700 to $94,100160
Illinois$124,790$79,190 to $129,590370
Indiana$66,520$58,420 to $83,280320
Iowa$67,060$51,960 to $77,360130
Kentucky$61,470$51,200 to $67,76060
Louisiananot publishednot published240
Maine$70,870$48,550 to $78,67040
Maryland$82,140$65,170 to $105,300460
Massachusetts$79,320$70,650 to $97,360290
Michigannot publishednot published650
Minnesota$76,960$64,980 to $86,490140
Mississippi$52,850$42,350 to $70,260140
Missouri$62,750$53,270 to $77,110350
Montana$82,200$61,630 to $82,20060
Nebraska$65,920$55,070 to $74,470150
Nevada$81,090$65,490 to $103,930360
New Jersey$63,220$49,630 to $72,43060
New Mexico$65,570$52,470 to $81,740200
New York$81,670$64,990 to $100,3101,140
North Carolina$59,240$49,690 to $66,110520
North Dakota$71,090$61,540 to $90,25040
Ohionot publishednot published470
Oklahoma$65,940$49,150 to $82,040110
Oregon$80,950$63,880 to $102,160110
Pennsylvania$61,580$54,430 to $84,530360
South Carolina$51,830$45,990 to $57,990160
South Dakota$51,690$43,680 to $62,31030
Tennessee$70,500$54,030 to $95,940300
Texas$59,870$49,460 to $70,1301,900
Utah$66,780$55,530 to $81,900220
Vermont$74,110$58,570 to $84,14030
Virginia$68,900$52,970 to $99,330770
Washington$81,310$70,720 to $97,350390
West Virginia$63,330$52,740 to $72,430110
Wisconsin$72,280$62,530 to $80,140310
Wyoming$52,100$41,600 to $67,64090

Nationally: $72,060. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 7 of its 20 rated tasks

1 · AI alone could halve the time 6 · AI + software built on it could 13 · Not much 4 · Not rated
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
Not much Testify in court about investigative or analytical methods or findings. Not published
AI alone Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques. Not published
AI + software Use photographic or video equipment to document evidence or crime scenes. Not published
Not much Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity. Not published
Not much Train new technicians or other personnel on forensic science techniques. Not published
Not much Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations. Not published
See all 24 tasks
Not much Collect impressions of dust from surfaces to obtain and identify fingerprints. Not published
Not rated Measure and sketch crime scenes to document evidence. Not published
Not much Operate and maintain laboratory equipment and apparatus. Not published
Not much Use chemicals or other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases. Not published
Not much Confer with ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, documents, electronics, medical, chemical, or metallurgical experts concerning evidence and its interpretation. Not published
Not much Prepare solutions, reagents, or sample formulations needed for laboratory work. Not published
AI + software Analyze gunshot residue and bullet paths to determine how shootings occurred. Not published
Not much Examine and analyze blood stain patterns at crime scenes. Not published
AI + software Interpret laboratory findings or test results to identify and classify substances, materials, or other evidence collected at crime scenes. Not published
AI + software Reconstruct crime scenes to determine relationships among pieces of evidence. Not published
Not rated Examine footwear, tire tracks, or other types of impressions. Not published
AI + software Examine firearms to determine mechanical condition and legal status, performing restoration work on damaged firearms to obtain information, such as serial numbers. Not published
AI + software Review forensic analysts' reports for technical merit. under 0.01%
Not much Determine types of bullets and specific weapons used in shootings. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain Not published
Not much Compare objects, such as tools, with impression marks to determine whether a specific object is responsible for a specific mark. Not published
Not rated Examine physical evidence, such as hair, biological fluids, fiber, wood, or soil residues to obtain information about its source and composition. Not published
Not rated Analyze data from computers or other digital media sources for evidence related to criminal activity. Not published
Not much Identify and quantify drugs or poisons found in biological fluids or tissues, in foods, or at crime scenes. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 24 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 24 tasks fall under 16 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up7 of 20 rated tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most2 of 16 activities
  • #20 Present research or technical information
  • #28 Analyze scientific or applied data using mathematical principles
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Analyze biological or chemical substances or related data 15#68 3.48#107
Investigate criminal or legal matters 9.30#96 1.13#161
Present research or technical information 100#20 339#6
Analyze scientific or applied data using mathematical principles 67#28 14#56
Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data 23#52 15#54
Assist scientists, scholars, or technical specialists with projects or research 15#66 40#34
Maintain electronic, computer, or other technical equipment 8.36#100 1.25#152
Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment 6.04#113 1.15#158
Show all 16 activities
Record images with photographic or audiovisual equipment 4.16#142 0.43#216
Test characteristics of materials or products 3.64#152 0.75#177
Analyze data to improve operations 3.31#159 1.09#162
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Train others on operational or work procedures 1.60#211 29#38
Prepare specimens or materials for testing 0.51#269 0.13#265
Operate laboratory or field equipment 0.37#280 0.02#302
Present information in legal proceedings 0.17#303 0.02#299
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Maintain operational records” holds 1 task rated AI alone, yet people asked AI for help with it in 2.92 of every 10,000 conversations, #170 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • An explanation or answer45%
  • An analysis or summary26%
  • A document or report13%
  • Teaching material6%
  • Math or a calculation2%

How they worked with Claude

43% handed the task off57% worked on it together

32% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for forensic science technicians specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Forensic science technicians: +13.3%Forensic Science TechniciansAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Forensic science technicians: +13.3%Forensic Science Technicians

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 1,064 moves out

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 13%
  2. 2 Security Guards Moderate +0.9% 4%
  3. 3 Detectives and Criminal Investigators High +0.2% 4%
  4. 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
  5. 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%

Where people moved in from

of 1,476 moves in

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 17%
  2. 2 Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary Very high +2.7% 13%
  3. 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 7%
  4. 4 Security Guards Moderate +0.9% 5%
  5. 5 Detectives and Criminal Investigators High +0.2% 4%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 29% high school
  • 36% postsecondary certificate
  • 15% bachelor's
  • 2% master's
  • 17% not published

O*NET marks 17% of the answers as too uncertain to publish, so the parts shown don't add up to 100%.

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 27 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 3% less than high school
  • 16% high school
  • 22% some college
  • 11% associate's
  • 31% bachelor's
  • 11% master's
  • 1% professional degree
  • 7% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other life, physical, and social science technicians” · 3,263 people surveyed.

Why the two can differ

O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other life, physical, and social science technicians”

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
7 programs, such as Biology/Biological Sciences, General, Chemistry, General and Forensic Chemistry.
See all
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
  • Chemistry, General
  • Forensic Chemistry
  • Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
  • Criminalistics and Criminal Science
  • Forensic Science and Technology
  • Forensic Anthropology

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS

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