Forensic Science Technicians

The median annual wage for Forensic Science Technicians is $64,940, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $71,540, and an estimated 17,520 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2020 and 2023, pay rose +7.2% while consumer prices rose 17.7% — a real change of -9% (pay did not keep up with inflation). BLS projects employment will grow 12.8% between 2024 and 2034.

Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment

How the national median wage for Forensic Science Technicians has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.

National median wage trend for Forensic Science Technicians, nominal and inflation-adjusted, BLS OEWS.
Year	Median (nominal)	In 2023 $ (real)	Employment
2023	$64,940	$64,940	17,520
2022	$63,740	$66,364	17,590
2021	$61,930	$69,639	17,020
2020	$60,590	$71,333	16,640

Nominal change

+7.2%

Inflation (CPI)

+17.7%

Real change

-9%

Job Outlook (2024–2034 BLS projection)

The BLS Employment Projections program estimates how each occupation's employment will change over the coming decade, and how many job openings to expect each year (from both growth and the need to replace workers who leave).

Projected Growth

+12.8%

Much faster than average

Employment 2024

20,700

Projected 2034

23,300

Annual Openings

2,900

Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.

Highest-Paying Areas (2023)

Where Forensic Science Technicians earn the most, and how each area's median compares to the national median of $64,940. A positive premium means the area pays above the national rate.

Highest-paying areas for Forensic Science Technicians, BLS OEWS 2023.
Area	Median Annual	vs National	Employment
Illinois	$101,300	+56%	370
California	$89,610	+38%	2,390
Connecticut	$85,570	+31.8%	130
Colorado	$78,570	+21%	380
New York	$77,660	+19.6%	590
Maryland	$77,580	+19.5%	440
Washington	$76,850	+18.3%	320
Minnesota	$75,620	+16.4%	130
Oregon	$75,040	+15.6%	70
New Hampshire	$72,780	+12.1%	40

Full wages-by-state breakdown →

Wage Distribution (National, 2023)

10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.

10th Pct

$41,410

25th Pct

$50,480

Median

$64,940

75th Pct

$84,720

90th Pct

$107,490

H-1B Employer Filings

Employer-certified wages from DOL H-1B LCA filings — competitive market benchmark, not approved visas.

The average H-1B median wage for this occupation is $62,938 — 3.1% below the OEWS national median of $64,940. H-1B certified wages trail the broader market median for this role.

H-1B employer filings for Forensic Science Technicians, DOL LCA data.
Employer	State	Filings	Median Wage
City of Rapid City	SD	1	$62,938

Source: DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification, H-1B LCA data.

Related Occupations in Life, Physical & Social Science

Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.

Physicists $155,680 Industrial-Organizational Psychologists $147,420 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $132,398 Political Scientists $132,350 Astronomers $127,930 Psychologists, All Other $117,750 Economists $115,730 Physical Scientists, All Other $112,280

All Life, Physical & Social Science occupations →

Wages by State Compare with another occupation All H-1B Employers