How much do forensic scientists make?

Forensic Scientist salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Forensic Science Technicians (SOC 19-4092) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Forensic scientists in the US earned a median of $72,060 a year ($34.65 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $57,830 to $94,520.

Median annual pay: $72,060; Mean $79,200
Median hourly pay: $34.65; Mean $38.08
Typical range (10th–90th): $48.3K–$117K; $48,250 to $117,250
US jobs: 19,120; +13.3% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a forensic scientist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Illinois

Forensic Scientist pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$48,250
25th percentile$57,830
Median$72,060
75th percentile$94,520
90th percentile$117,250

Half of all forensic scientists earned more than $72,060 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $48,250; the top 10% made over $117,250. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $57,830 to $94,520.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$48,250	$23.20	$4,021
25th	$57,830	$27.81	$4,819
Median (50th)	$72,060	$34.65	$6,005
75th	$94,520	$45.44	$7,877
90th	$117,250	$56.37	$9,771
Mean (average)	$79,200	$38.08	$6,600

Forensic Scientist salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for forensic scientists by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. Illinois $124,790
2. California $102,100
3. Connecticut $85,910
4. Colorado $84,010
5. Montana $82,200

Lowest-paying states

41. Arkansas $44,670
40. South Dakota $51,690
39. South Carolina $51,830
38. Wyoming $52,100
37. Mississippi $52,850

Best after cost of living: Illinois. Its median of $124,790 is worth about $124,842 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$59,560	35	$67,055	29	$28.64	160	0.07
Alaska	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Arizona	$63,250	29	$62,825	32	$30.41	900	0.28
Arkansas	$44,670	41	$51,382	41	$21.48	100	0.08
California	$102,100	2	$92,215	2	$49.09	2,800	0.15
Colorado	$84,010	4	$81,522	5	$40.39	510	0.18
Connecticut	$85,910	3	$82,917	4	$41.30	120	0.07
Delaware	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
District of Columbia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Florida	$64,140	26	$62,023	34	$30.84	1,920	0.19
Georgia	$63,600	27	$66,048	30	$30.58	550	0.11
Hawaii	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Idaho	$71,160	15	$74,518	19	$34.21	160	0.19
Illinois	$124,790	1	$124,842	1	$60.00	370	0.06
Indiana	$66,520	22	$71,275	22	$31.98	320	0.10
Iowa	$67,060	20	$76,411	13	$32.24	130	0.08
Kansas	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Kentucky	$61,470	33	$68,180	26	$29.56	60	0.03
Louisiana	—	—	—	—	—	240	0.12
Maine	$70,870	17	$73,024	21	$34.07	40	0.06
Maryland	$82,140	6	$78,259	9	$39.49	460	0.17
Massachusetts	$79,320	11	$75,002	18	$38.14	290	0.08
Michigan	—	—	—	—	—	650	0.15
Minnesota	$76,960	12	$78,036	10	$37.00	140	0.05
Mississippi	$52,850	37	$60,780	36	$25.41	140	0.12
Missouri	$62,750	31	$69,095	25	$30.17	350	0.12
Montana	$82,200	5	$86,851	3	$39.52	60	0.12
Nebraska	$65,920	24	$73,161	20	$31.69	150	0.14
Nevada	$81,090	9	$81,107	6	$38.99	360	0.23
New Hampshire	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
New Jersey	$63,220	30	$58,104	38	$30.39	60	0.01
New Mexico	$65,570	25	$71,108	23	$31.52	200	0.23
New York	$81,670	7	$75,676	15	$39.27	1,140	0.12
North Carolina	$59,240	36	$62,803	33	$28.48	520	0.11
North Dakota	$71,090	16	$79,913	7	$34.18	40	0.08
Ohio	—	—	—	—	—	470	0.09
Oklahoma	$65,940	23	$75,066	17	$31.70	110	0.06
Oregon	$80,950	10	$78,318	8	$38.92	110	0.05
Pennsylvania	$61,580	32	$63,112	31	$29.60	360	0.06
Rhode Island	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
South Carolina	$51,830	39	$55,286	40	$24.92	160	0.07
South Dakota	$51,690	40	$58,350	37	$24.85	30	0.07
Tennessee	$70,500	18	$76,739	12	$33.90	300	0.09
Texas	$59,870	34	$61,685	35	$28.79	1,900	0.14
Utah	$66,780	21	$67,547	28	$32.11	220	0.13
Vermont	$74,110	13	$75,655	16	$35.63	30	0.11
Virginia	$68,900	19	$68,148	27	$33.12	770	0.19
Washington	$81,310	8	$75,981	14	$39.09	390	0.11
West Virginia	$63,330	28	$70,762	24	$30.45	110	0.15
Wisconsin	$72,280	14	$76,816	11	$34.75	310	0.10
Wyoming	$52,100	38	$56,208	39	$25.05	90	0.31

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (10 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for forensic scientists

92 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$137,280	$124,322	140
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$112,790	$108,876	260
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$109,930	$95,084	330
Akron, OH	$106,330	$113,880	80
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$105,320	$94,131	220
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$104,410	$91,938	1,170
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$102,810	$93,012	80
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$101,780	$95,416	160
New Haven, CT	$98,250	$93,966	70
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$95,460	$85,897	230

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	1,170	$104,410	$91,938
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	800	$81,670	$72,555
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	660	$85,070	$78,129
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	620	$65,220	$63,127
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	590	$57,180	$55,466
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	490	$77,820	$68,170
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	380	$65,230	$64,655
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	370	$63,840	$63,803
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	360	$70,130	$71,513
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	340	$87,170	$82,405

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves forensic scientist pay: employers and settings

Government pay rules shape this career, because almost all forensic scientists work for the public sector. Local government, such as city and county crime labs and police departments, employs 66% of them, with a median of $70,050 for that group. State government labs employ 26.2% at a median of $74,740. The small group in the federal executive branch earns a median of $126,300 and sits far above the others. Private employers, which include private DNA and drug testing labs, pay less, with a median of $60,210 overall. Medical and diagnostic laboratories report a median of $44,770.

Location matters a lot. Illinois has the highest state median at $124,790, followed by California at $102,100, while the lowest state median listed is Arkansas at $44,670. Within a government lab, pay generally follows a civil service grade scale, so promotion from analyst to senior analyst or supervisor moves someone to a higher grade, and specialty certification in areas such as DNA or latent prints can support promotion. Crime scene units that cover nights and weekends may offer shift differentials or overtime, depending on the agency.

Where forensic scientists work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	66%	$70,050
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	26.2%	$74,740
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	1.9%	$49,600
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories	1.7%	$44,770
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	1.3%	$62,250
Federal Executive Branch	0.5%	$126,300

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	1,140	$60,210
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	120	$126,300
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	5,250	$74,090
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	12,620	$70,030

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Forensic Scientist pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$72.1K $56.3K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $56,320 in 2015 to $72,060 in 2025, up 28% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $76,133 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 5% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What forensic scientists do

A forensic scientist, called a forensic science technician by BLS, collects and tests physical evidence for criminal cases. The job splits into two main branches. Crime scene investigators, also known as CSIs or crime scene technicians, go to scenes of homicides, burglaries, shootings and crashes, where they photograph and sketch the scene, lift fingerprints, and bag and label evidence so its chain of custody holds up in court. Laboratory forensic scientists, often titled criminalists or crime lab analysts, test that evidence: DNA from blood or skin cells, suspected drugs, gunshot residue, fibers, paint or firearms and cartridge cases.

Most work for city, county or state crime labs, police departments or sheriff's offices, and they work closely with detectives, prosecutors and medical examiners. Many specialize in one discipline, such as DNA, latent prints, toxicology or firearms. Every case ends in a written report, and forensic scientists are regularly subpoenaed to explain their methods and findings in court, where defense attorneys cross-examine them.

A typical day

Respond to crime scenes to photograph, measure and sketch the layout
Collect, package and log evidence such as weapons, prints and biological stains
Run lab tests on evidence, for example DNA profiling or drug identification
Compare prints, DNA profiles or cartridge cases against national databases
Write case reports that explain the methods used and what the results mean
Testify in court as an expert witness about findings
Calibrate instruments and complete proficiency tests required by lab accreditation

Also called: forensic science technician, crime scene investigator, forensic science, crime scene technician, crime lab analyst (crime laboratory analyst), crime scene analyst (csa), crime scene technician (crime scene tech), criminalist.

How to become a forensic scientist

Full guide

Most forensic scientists earn a 4-year bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology or forensic science, get hired by a crime lab or police agency and then train on the job, usually for less than a year, before working cases alone. Some crime scene jobs accept an associate degree or police experience.

Typical time: 4-5 years; Fastest: About 2-3 years (associate degree plus on-the-job training, for some crime scene jobs)
Minimum education: Bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, forensic science or another natural science for most lab jobs; an associate degree is enough for some crime scene technician positions
License: Not licensed in most states; Texas requires a state license for forensic analysts in several lab disciplines
Typical training cost: $38.6K–$41.5K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a forensic scientist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 4-5 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $38.6K–$41.5K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $72,060; $21,080 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 54–58%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($21,080 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in about 1.8–2.0 years after training ends (4-5 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for forensic scientists

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +13.3%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 20,100; 22,800 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 2,800; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 0.9%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects forensic science technician jobs to grow 13.3% from 2025 to 2035, from 20,100 to 22,800, far faster than the 3.5% expected for all occupations. That means about 2,800 openings a year, most of them from people retiring or changing careers. Heavy caseloads at state and local crime labs and wider use of DNA and other scientific evidence in trials drive the demand. Even so, this is a small field, so openings in any one area are few, and most lab jobs go to applicants with solid natural science coursework.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Forensic Scientist salary FAQ

How much do forensic scientists make an hour?

The median hourly wage for forensic scientists was $34.65 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $23.20 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $56.37. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays forensic scientists the most?

Illinois has the highest median pay for forensic scientists, $124,790 a year, followed by California ($102,100) and Connecticut ($85,910). After adjusting for each state's price level, Illinois comes out ahead at about $124,842 in national-average dollars.

Do forensic scientists make six figures?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 10% and 25% of forensic scientists earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $72,060, and the top 10% earn more than $117,250. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between a forensic scientist and a crime scene investigator?

A crime scene investigator works in the field, documenting scenes and collecting evidence. A forensic scientist in the narrower sense works in a crime lab, analyzing that evidence with scientific instruments. BLS groups both under forensic science technicians. Lab jobs, especially DNA and drug chemistry, usually require a natural science degree, while some crime scene jobs are filled by sworn police officers or civilians with a criminal justice or forensic degree.

Do forensic scientists have to go to crime scenes?

Not all of them. Many lab analysts, such as DNA analysts, toxicologists and drug chemists, rarely or never visit scenes and work a regular weekday schedule in the lab. Crime scene technicians do go out, often at night, in bad weather and to scenes involving violent death. In smaller agencies, one person may handle both scene work and some lab analysis, such as fingerprint processing.

Is forensic science a stressful job?

It can be. Crime scene staff see violent and disturbing scenes, work on-call and overnight shifts and face pressure to process evidence quickly. Lab analysts deal with case backlogs and know their results can decide whether someone is charged or convicted. Testifying under cross-examination is stressful for many. On the other hand, lab analysts often keep regular hours, and agencies increasingly offer peer support and counseling for staff exposed to traumatic scenes.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 19-4092
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (19-4092.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Forensic Science Technicians, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
FEPAC Frequently Asked Questions and Accreditation Timeline, American Academy of Forensic Sciences · checked October 28, 2026
Fees, American Board of Criminalistics · checked October 28, 2026
Application Fees and Crime Scene Certification, International Association for Identification · checked October 28, 2026
Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories (effective July 1, 2025), Federal Bureau of Investigation · checked October 28, 2026
Forensic Analyst and Technician Licensing Program, Texas Forensic Science Commission · checked October 28, 2026
37 Tex. Admin. Code § 651.207, Forensic Analyst and Forensic Technician Licensing Requirements, Texas Forensic Science Commission (via Cornell LII) · checked October 28, 2026

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