How Much Does a Forensic Specialist Make?

Forensic specialties are not limited to fingerprints and other crime scene evidence.

The question of how much a forensic specialist makes has no easy answer. One reason for this is the wide range of professionals who apply their expertise to law-related issues. Forensic specialists, in short, are not limited to the scientific investigators who collect and analyze evidence from crime scenes. Fields as diverse as engineering, psychology and medicine have jobs for forensic specialists, as well.

Crime Scene Specialists

For many people, forensic specialists are the scientific investigators who assist police detectives by gathering and analyzing crime scene evidence. These specialists hold university degrees in biology, chemistry and other scientific fields. Some even specialize in examining particular types of evidence, such as DNA, fingerprints and firearms. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classifies these individuals as forensic science technicians and reported in 2009 that they earn a mean annual salary of about $55,000.

Salary Ranges

A forensic science specialist's salary varies widely, based on education, experience and any specialized expertise. For example, DNA analysts' salaries range from $62,000 to $75,000 a year, according to information on the Inside Prison website, which reported salary ranges for a wide range of forensic specialties. The website further reported that fingerprint specialists earn from $30,000 to $46,000 a year, while firearms examiners can earn from $24,000 to more than $80,000 a year. These figures are as of 2006.

Misconceptions

Forensic specialists are not limited to the individuals who collect crime scene evidence and analyze the materials in crime labs. Forensic specialists populate a wide range of professions, including medicine, nursing, engineering, psychology, economics, anthropology, accounting and computer science, according to the BLS. In a 2009 article on careers in forensics, the bureau reported that forensic specialists' salaries generally compare favorably to those of professionals in the broader occupation. A forensic engineer's salary, for example, will likely be similar to the salaries of other professional engineers.

Considerations

Many forensic specialists pursue full-time careers in their larger occupation, applying their forensic skills on a consulting basis as new cases arise. Many forensic specialists in anthropology and economics, for example, work on university faculties as professors of their respective disciplines and provide their forensic expertise when contacted for assistance by police and other legal authorities.

References

• Inside Prison: Average Salary of a Crime Scene Investigator
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Careers in Forensics
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Forensic Science Technicians

Resources

• American Academy of Forensic Sciences
• American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors
• International Association of Identification