Crime scene technician vs forensic ballistics expert

The differences between crime scene technicians and forensic ballistics experts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a crime scene technician and a forensic ballistics expert. Additionally, a forensic ballistics expert has an average salary of $64,737, which is higher than the $51,741 average annual salary of a crime scene technician.

The top three skills for a crime scene technician include biohazard, demolition and physical evidence. The most important skills for a forensic ballistics expert are litigation, cyber security, and encase.

Crime scene technician vs forensic ballistics expert overview

	Crime Scene Technician	Forensic Ballistics Expert
Yearly salary	$51,741	$64,737
Hourly rate	$24.88	$31.12
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	5,535	8,905
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Crime scene technician vs forensic ballistics expert salary

Crime scene technicians and forensic ballistics experts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Crime Scene Technician	Forensic Ballistics Expert
Average salary	$51,741	$64,737
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $80,000	Between $36,000 And $116,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between crime scene technician and forensic ballistics expert education

There are a few differences between a crime scene technician and a forensic ballistics expert in terms of educational background:

	Crime Scene Technician	Forensic Ballistics Expert
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Stanford University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Crime scene technician vs forensic ballistics expert demographics

Here are the differences between crime scene technicians' and forensic ballistics experts' demographics:

	Crime Scene Technician	Forensic Ballistics Expert
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4%	Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 10.5% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 11.4% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between crime scene technician and forensic ballistics expert duties and responsibilities

Crime scene technician example responsibilities.

Process crime scenes for fingerprints, DNA (various types), trace evidence, bloodstain pattern analysis, bullet trajectory.
Collaborate with federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, KBI and IRS.
Check SID numbers in RAS system.
Perform enrollment procedures in helping TWs acquire their TWIC card.
Require to run NCIC on all persons requesting their weapons return.
Produce clear and classify fingerprints for immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship.

Forensic ballistics expert example responsibilities.

Manage use and maintenance of company vehicle, surveying equip., cameras, and firearms.
Provide computer forensics, litigation and regulatory support, including expert testimony.
Perform in-depth forensic analysis of Macintosh computer hard drives and prepare expert report for use in ongoing litigation.
Perform function tests on submit firearms and collect standards for microscopic comparisons.

Crime scene technician vs forensic ballistics expert skills

Common crime scene technician skills

Biohazard, 33%
Demolition, 30%
Physical Evidence, 13%
Crime Scene Investigation, 6%
Latent Prints, 3%
Crime Lab, 2%

Common forensic ballistics expert skills

Litigation, 42%
Cyber Security, 23%
Encase, 15%
E-Discovery, 13%
Security Practices, 7%

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Crime Scene Technician
Crime Scene Technician vs Forensic Ballistics Expert

Updated January 8, 2025

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