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The differences between forensic investigators and crime scene technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a forensic investigator and a crime scene technician. Additionally, a forensic investigator has an average salary of $52,267, which is higher than the $51,741 average annual salary of a crime scene technician.
The top three skills for a forensic investigator include incident response, windows and FTK. The most important skills for a crime scene technician are biohazard, demolition, and physical evidence.
| Forensic Investigator | Crime Scene Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $52,267 | $51,741 |
| Hourly rate | $25.13 | $24.88 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 5,032 | 5,535 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A forensic investigator is responsible for collecting evidence and pieces of a clue to solve a complicated incident. A forensic investigator must have strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to handle various cases that would require intensive research and scientific principles application. Forensic investigators usually work closely with law enforcement personnel to identify all possible sources and secure evidence for further examination. They also study the scene where the incident happened, document observations, creating investigation reports, and communicating with several witnesses that would support possible claims.
A crime scene technician specializes in gathering and processing evidence from crime scenes. They must visit and closely examine crime scenes, find potential clues, gather fingerprints and DNA samples, take photos and videos, recreate the crime scene through sketches or computerized models, and keep records. They also conduct laboratory analyses to process evidence and report results to investigators. They may sometimes have to testify at court, where they must present their findings objectively and clearly.
Forensic investigators and crime scene technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forensic Investigator | Crime Scene Technician | |
| Average salary | $52,267 | $51,741 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $98,000 | Between $33,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a forensic investigator and a crime scene technician in terms of educational background:
| Forensic Investigator | Crime Scene Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between forensic investigators' and crime scene technicians' demographics:
| Forensic Investigator | Crime Scene Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% | Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |