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The national median salary for Forensic Science Technicians is $72,072 per year ($34.65/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $57,845 and $94,515 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $117,250 per year. There are approximately 19,120 forensic science technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+12.8%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
21K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
9% from new growth91% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
13K
$70,050
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
5K
$74,740
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
360
$49,600
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories
NAICS 621500
330
$44,770
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
250
$62,250
Wage range across top 5 industries: $44,770 to $74,740 (67% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$23.20
$48,256
P25
$27.81
$57,845
P50MEDIAN
$34.65
$72,072
P75
$45.44
$94,515
P90
$56.37
$117,250
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average forensic science technicians salary?
The national median salary for Forensic Science Technicians is $72,072 per year ($34.65/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $57,845 and $94,515 annually.
How much do top-earning forensic science technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Forensic Science Technicians is $117,250 per year ($56.37/hr). The 75th percentile is $94,515 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for forensic science technicians?
Entry-level Forensic Science Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $48,256 per year ($23.20/hr). The 25th percentile is $57,845 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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