What degree do you need to be a forensic investigator?

You need a bachelor's degree in forensic investigation to be a forensic investigator. A bachelor's degree in criminal justice is also acceptable. Depending on if there is a specific area you want to specialize in, you might also consider bachelor's degrees in biology, cybercrime, financial crime, or digital forensics.

How To Become A Forensic Investigator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a forensic investigator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Andrew Karmen Ph.D.,

Jodi Gill

A forensic investigator can be a very interesting position for some people. Others may not be able to handle the heat. As a forensic investigator, it is your job to collect evidence from the scene of a crime without tampering or damaging it.

Some of the scenes that you'll see on the job will be hard to digest. It's definitely not a job for the light-hearted. The job typically only requires a bachelor's degree, but there are many programs in the field that take a little longer to complete than the usual 4 years. If you're willing to put in the time and hard work though, this job can be, well, let's keep it at interesting. Bloody interesting.

What general advice would you give to a forensic investigator?

Dr. Andrew Karmen Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Given the grim prospects of a very slow recovery of the job market, I would recommend that she or he take any full-time job with benefits that they are offered. I would avoid any "gig economy", "freelance", or "independent contractor" opportunities that offer absolutely no job security or benefits.

ScoreForensic InvestigatorUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,267

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.9

Growth rate 11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.98%

Asian 10.42%

Black or African American 9.69%

Hispanic or Latino 17.12%

Unknown 5.68%

White 56.11%

Gender

female 34.93%

male 65.07%

Age - 35

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Stress level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a forensic investigator

Explore forensic investigator education requirements

Most common forensic investigator degrees

Bachelor's

55.4 %

Associate

20.5 %

Master's

15.5 %

Start to develop specific forensic investigator skills

Skills	Percentages
Incident Response	16.97%
Windows	12.41%
FTK	10.93%
Litigation	8.15%
Physical Evidence	5.50%

Complete relevant forensic investigator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New forensic investigators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a forensic investigator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real forensic investigator resumes.

Research forensic investigator duties and responsibilities

Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Prepare investigative reports, scientific forensic analysis reports and other documents in support of civil litigation.
Perform in-depth forensic analysis of Macintosh computer hard drives and prepare expert report for use in ongoing litigation.
Prepare affidavits of information and apply for investigative or grand jury subpoenas and other legal orders necessary for a thorough investigation.

Get forensic investigator experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a forensic investigator. The most common roles before becoming a forensic investigator include police officer, investigator team lead and internship.

Prepare your forensic investigator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your forensic investigator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a forensic investigator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable forensic investigator resume templates

Build a professional forensic investigator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your forensic investigator resume.