The Average Pay for a Crime Scene Investigator
Television dramas such as "CSI" have heightened interest in people who analyze scientific evidence collected at crime scenes. Formally known as forensic scientists, crime scene investigators assist police by applying scientific techniques to criminal investigations. Although real-life crime scene investigation lacks the drama portrayed on television, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that forensic scientists can earn salaries averaging nearly $50,000 a year.
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Misconceptions
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Despite the popularity of the term, crime scene investigator is not an official job title for many of the people who collect and analyze crime scene evidence. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, actual job titles include forensic scientist, forensic science technician and criminalist, among others.
Features
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Forensic science applies scientific methods and principles to the law. Forensic scientists collect and analyze blood, tissue, fibers, DNA and other evidence at crime scenes. Many forensic investigators specialize in certain types of evidence, such as firearms and other weapons, fingerprints or DNA. In addition to evidence collection and analysis, forensic scientists prepare reports on their findings to aid police investigators and prosecutors. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, forensic scientists may also offer expert testimony in criminal trials.
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Average Salaries
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which collects salary and other data on all types of occupations, reported in 2008 that forensic science technicians earned median hourly wages of $23.97. Assuming a 40-hour work week and 52 weeks a year, this translates to a median annual salary of $49,857.
Types
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The website InsidePrison.com reported average salary levels for a wide range of forensic science job types. According to these figures, a crime scene technician earned between $20.40 and $22 an hour, or $42,432 to $45,760; a firearms examiner, $2,000 to $5,000 a month, or $24,000 to $60,000 a year; and a forensic scientist, $35,000 to $52,000 a year, as of 2010.
Potential
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Crime scene investigation professionals with the right combination of experience and education can advance to supervisory positions, such as criminalistics supervisor or crime lab director. InsidePrison's figures indicated that supervising criminalists earned between $60,000 and $84,000 a year, while crime lab directors earned between $58,000 and $76,000.
Considerations
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Becoming a forensic scientist of any kind requires the minimum of a bachelor's degree in a scientific discipline, such as chemistry, biology or forensic science. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that supervisory positions may require a master's degree.
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References
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