Career Explorer Science
Human edge, growing
Forensic science technicians
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.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 87% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is moderate (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by +13.3% by 2035, much faster than average. The work leans on ethical judgement.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $72,060
- Job growth to 2035
- +13.3%
- Openings a year
- 2,800
- People doing it (2025)
- 20,100
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree, then moderate on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Analyze biological or chemical substances or related data
- Present research or technical information
- Investigate criminal or legal matters
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Maintain operational records
- Record images with photographic or audiovisual equipment
- Present information in legal proceedings
What the work looks like
- Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity.
- Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques.
- Use photographic or video equipment to document evidence or crime scenes.
- Testify in court about investigative or analytical methods or findings.
- Use chemicals or other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- More of these jobs, as an expected increase in the use of DNA analysis and other physical evidence analysis in criminal investigations increases the demand for forensic science technicians.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Occupational health and safety specialistsHuman edge, growing, Index 93, +18.5%
- Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersHuman edge, growing, Index 96, +8.3%
- Veterinary technologists and techniciansHuman edge, growing, Index 95, +9.4%
- Physician assistantsHuman edge, growing, Index 97, +21.1%
Also known as: Crime Scene Technician (Crime Scene Tech), Criminalist, CSI (Crime Scene Investigator), Forensic Scientist, Crime Lab Analyst (Crime Laboratory Analyst), Crime Scene Analyst (CSA), Evidence Technician (Evidence Tech), Forensic Science Examiner.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.