SOC 19-4092 · Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

Forensic Science Technicians

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries

U.S. median annual wage$72,060

U.S. median hourly wage$34.65

U.S. employment19,120

Nationally, forensic science technicians earned a median of $72,060 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 19,120 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.

National pay distribution

Pay by state

Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

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Forensic Science Technicians: pay and employment by state
State
Illinois	$124,790	$60.00	370	0.1
California	$102,100	$49.09	2,800	0.2
Connecticut	$85,910	$41.30	120	0.1
Colorado	$84,010	$40.39	510	0.2
Montana	$82,200	$39.52	60	0.1
Maryland	$82,140	$39.49	460	0.2
New York	$81,670	$39.27	1,140	0.1
Washington	$81,310	$39.09	390	0.1
Nevada	$81,090	$38.99	360	0.2
Oregon	$80,950	$38.92	110	0.1
Massachusetts	$79,320	$38.14	290	0.1
Minnesota	$76,960	$37.00	140	0.0
Vermont	$74,110	$35.63	30	0.1
Wisconsin	$72,280	$34.75	310	0.1
Idaho	$71,160	$34.21	160	0.2
North Dakota	$71,090	$34.18	40	0.1
Maine	$70,870	$34.07	40	0.1
Tennessee	$70,500	$33.90	300	0.1
Virginia	$68,900	$33.12	770	0.2
Iowa	$67,060	$32.24	130	0.1
Utah	$66,780	$32.11	220	0.1
Indiana	$66,520	$31.98	320	0.1
Oklahoma	$65,940	$31.70	110	0.1
Nebraska	$65,920	$31.69	150	0.1
New Mexico	$65,570	$31.52	200	0.2
Florida	$64,140	$30.84	1,920	0.2
Georgia	$63,600	$30.58	550	0.1
West Virginia	$63,330	$30.45	110	0.2
Arizona	$63,250	$30.41	900	0.3
New Jersey	$63,220	$30.39	60	0.0
Missouri	$62,750	$30.17	350	0.1
Pennsylvania	$61,580	$29.60	360	0.1
Kentucky	$61,470	$29.56	60	0.0
Texas	$59,870	$28.79	1,900	0.1
Alabama	$59,560	$28.64	160	0.1
North Carolina	$59,240	$28.48	520	0.1
Mississippi	$52,850	$25.41	140	0.1
Wyoming	$52,100	$25.05	90	0.3
South Carolina	$51,830	$24.92	160	0.1
South Dakota	$51,690	$24.85	30	0.1
Arkansas	$44,670	$21.48	100	0.1
Louisiana	Not published	Not published	240	0.1
Michigan	Not published	Not published	650	0.1
Ohio	Not published	Not published	470	0.1

Pay by metro area

All 95 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.

Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.

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Forensic Science Technicians: pay and employment by metro area
Metro area
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$137,280	$66.00	140	0.1
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$112,790	$54.23	260	0.1
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$109,930	$52.85	330	0.1
Akron, OH	$106,330	$51.12	80	0.2
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$105,320	$50.63	220	0.1
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$104,410	$50.20	1,170	0.2
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$102,810	$49.43	80	0.3
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$101,780	$48.94	160	0.1
New Haven, CT	$98,250	$47.24	70	0.2
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$95,460	$45.90	230	0.1
Toledo, OH	$95,330	$45.83	40	0.1
Lansing-East Lansing, MI	$88,670	$42.63	110	0.5
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$87,460	$42.05	80	0.1
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	$87,280	$41.96	70	0.1
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$87,170	$41.91	340	0.2
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$87,020	$41.84	170	0.4
Topeka, KS	$86,670	$41.67	60	0.5
Fresno, CA	$85,200	$40.96	70	0.2
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$85,070	$40.90	660	0.2
Colorado Springs, CO	$84,010	$40.39	30	0.1
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$82,320	$39.58	280	0.2
Missoula, MT	$82,200	$39.52	40	0.6
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	$82,040	$39.44	40	0.1
Stockton-Lodi, CA	$81,930	$39.39	60	0.2
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$81,780	$39.32	300	0.2
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$81,670	$39.27	800	0.1
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$79,970	$38.45	70	0.2
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$79,320	$38.14	250	0.1
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$78,480	$37.73	150	0.1
Columbus, OH	$78,170	$37.58	160	0.1
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$77,820	$37.41	490	0.2
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	$77,630	$37.32	170	0.2
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$76,960	$37.00	120	0.1
Naples-Marco Island, FL	$76,230	$36.65	30	0.2
Boise City, ID	$75,460	$36.28	110	0.3
Jackson, TN	$74,020	$35.59	40	0.4
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	$73,740	$35.45	140	0.2
Fort Wayne, IN	$72,510	$34.86	30	0.1
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	$71,780	$34.51	140	0.2
Madison, WI	$71,470	$34.36	70	0.2
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	$71,160	$34.21	90	0.2
Knoxville, TN	$70,500	$33.90	70	0.2
Richmond, VA	$70,160	$33.73	140	0.2
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$70,130	$33.71	360	0.3
Oklahoma City, OK	$69,390	$33.36	60	0.1
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	$67,750	$32.57	60	0.2
Cheyenne, WY	$67,640	$32.52	30	0.7
Birmingham, AL	$67,340	$32.37	50	0.1
Omaha, NE-IA	$67,160	$32.29	60	0.1
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$66,440	$31.94	300	0.1
Rochester, NY	$66,340	$31.89	40	0.1
Roanoke, VA	$65,620	$31.55	60	0.4
Baton Rouge, LA	$65,240	$31.37	100	0.2
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$65,230	$31.36	380	0.3
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	$65,220	$31.36	620	0.3
Charleston, WV	$63,920	$30.73	80	0.8
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$63,840	$30.69	370	0.1
Savannah, GA	$63,840	$30.69	50	0.2
Wichita, KS	$63,420	$30.49	60	0.2
Bismarck, ND	$63,360	$30.46	30	0.4
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	$63,150	$30.36	70	0.2
Jackson, MS	$63,040	$30.31	80	0.3
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$62,790	$30.19	70	0.1
St. Louis, MO-IL	$62,760	$30.17	150	0.1
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL	$62,270	$29.94	60	0.3
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	$62,160	$29.88	30	0.1
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	$62,120	$29.87	150	0.2
Lincoln, NE	$61,680	$29.66	70	0.4
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$61,580	$29.60	300	0.1
Tucson, AZ	$61,380	$29.51	160	0.4
Greensboro-High Point, NC	$61,130	$29.39	70	0.2
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$60,740	$29.20	250	0.2
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	$59,950	$28.82	160	0.1
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	$59,660	$28.68	30	0.1
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$59,240	$28.48	170	0.1
Jacksonville, FL	$59,020	$28.37	140	0.2
El Paso, TX	$58,890	$28.31	50	0.1
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC	$57,820	$27.80	40	0.1
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT	$57,470	$27.63	30	0.1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$57,180	$27.49	590	0.1
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	$55,820	$26.84	50	0.2
Tallahassee, FL	$55,620	$26.74	120	0.6
Pittsburgh, PA	$55,380	$26.63	40	0.0
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	$55,150	$26.52	40	0.1
Lubbock, TX	$54,970	$26.43	40	0.3
Corpus Christi, TX	$51,710	$24.86	30	0.2
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	$51,330	$24.68	50	0.2
Asheville, NC	$51,050	$24.54	40	0.2
Fayetteville, NC	$49,670	$23.88	40	0.3
Columbia, SC	$45,990	$22.11	60	0.1
Winston-Salem, NC	$45,950	$22.09	40	0.1
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	$43,800	$21.06	90	0.2
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	Not published	Not published	60	0.1
Cleveland, OH	Not published	Not published	90	0.1
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	Not published	Not published	90	0.2

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.