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Job outlook for criminalists in the United States
Are criminalist jobs in demand?
Criminalist job and salary trends over time
Criminalist jobs over time
Criminalist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 553 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 541 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 537 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 519 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 489 | 0.00% |
Average criminalist salary over time
Criminalist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $68,152 | $32.77 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $66,532 | $31.99 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $65,497 | $31.49 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | $65,070 | $31.28 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $63,833 | $30.69 | +0.8% |
Criminalist jobs by state
Most common states for criminalists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 9 | 0% |
| 2 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 5 | 0% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 4 | 0% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 3 | 0% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 2 | 0% |
| 6 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 2 | 0% |
| 7 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 2 | 0% |
| 8 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 2 | 0% |
| 9 | California | 39,536,653 | 2 | 0% |
| 10 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 1 | 0% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 1 | 0% |
| 12 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1 | 0% |
| 13 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 1 | 0% |
| 14 | Alaska | 739,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 0 | 0% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 0 | 0% |
| 18 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 0 | 0% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 0 | 0% |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 0 | 0% |
Criminalist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of criminalist experts
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Washington State University
University of Pittsburgh
Doverspike Consulting/HR LItehouse
Tiffin University
What will help Criminalists increase their earning potential?
Kristopher Koudelka Ph.D.: Always keep learning. These fields change fast! The leading edge is always unveiling new information that can be applied to the area you are working on, and there will be new techniques developed that allow you to answer questions in more efficient ways. You must learn to regularly update yourself through conversations, reading, conferences, and trainings. This change is fun and exciting, embrace it. It will keep your job feeling new.
What general advice would you give to a Criminalist?
Jacob Nordman: Salary potential in my field of neuroscience almost always involves publications, awards, and technical acumen. Therefore, as I mentioned, it is important to start early looking for opportunities that can strengthen these areas. Another important aspect of getting high-profile, and thus high-paying, positions, is being able to tell a story with your research and career. Employers want to see that you have thought deeply and strategically about your career and where it’s going. This will allow them to believe you are a safe bet and worthy of their investment.
What will help Criminalists increase their earning potential?
Lindsey du Toit: Take every opportunity you can to learn, network, and build an effective team of people that bring a greater breadth and depth of skills and expertise to the work on which you will be focusing. Cultivate a life-long sense of intellectual curiosity and learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Treat ignorance as an opportunity to learn. Questions demonstrate you want to understand the situation/problem effectively and that you are paying attention. Always demonstrate integrity in your work. It is one of the most valuable traits you can bring to your career. Be kind and supportive of your colleagues.
What will help Criminalists increase their earning potential?
Arjumand Ghazi Ph. D: Having an advanced degree such as a PhD and even a few years postdoc is a good way to start at a higher level. It often allows one to make up for the reduced earnings during the training periods while increasing long-term earnings.
What type of skills will young Criminalists need?
Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.: Seemingly a paradox, there will continue to be a need for very general, but highly fungible, skills and demand for too specialized skills, requiring advanced education. Coding, statistics, and data analysis related skills will remain a hot growth area. The aging of the baby boomers will create demand for medical and healthcare-related regions, especially nursing, nursing aides, and emergency services. Despite the automation of many people facing jobs, there will continue to be a demand for interpersonal and people skills, including various types of sales. The switch to remote work, due to COVID, will create a substantial future market to fill the leadership and managerial skills gap. In many areas of Technology and engineering, it is already challenging to find a combination of technical knowledge and people skills, and this demand will intensify.
Sami Mejri Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Science, Assistant Dean, Graduate ProgramsTiffin University
School of Arts & Sciences
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Criminalists to find work opportunities?
Sami Mejri Ph.D.: With the rising cost of living, a college graduate's ideal first job may not be in their home state or favorite vacation town. According to Business Insider, MidWestern cities like Columbus-Ohio, Cincinnati-Ohio, Madison-Wisconsin, Milwaukee-Wisconsin, and Indianapolis-Indiana were some of the best geographical areas to live for college graduates. The cost of living in these Midwestern states remains relatively lower than coastal areas, making these locations ideal for college graduates entering the workforce. However, college graduates with degrees in healthcare, computer science, and data analytics may not be limited to these geographical areas, given employers' incentives to these in-demand jobs.