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Best states for a forensic scientist
Quoted expert
Sami Mejri Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for forensic scientists? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for forensic scientist jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.We wanted to look at the best states for forensic scientists -- where there are plenty of forensic scientist jobs to go around and forensic scientists get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
The median salary for forensic scientists in Alaska is $107,427. Compare that to the median salary in Oklahoma of $53,170, which ranked worst for forensic scientists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.Alaska is the best state, and Anchorage is the city with the highest pay for forensic scientists.
10 best states for forensic scientists in 2025
1. Alaska
Total forensic scientist jobs: 61 Average annual salary: $107,427 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
2. North Dakota
Total forensic scientist jobs: 76 Average annual salary: $93,411 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.58
3. Utah
Total forensic scientist jobs: 209 Average annual salary: $95,125 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
4. Delaware
Total forensic scientist jobs: 127 Average annual salary: $84,437 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.96
5. Missouri
Total forensic scientist jobs: 365 Average annual salary: $93,108 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
6. Rhode Island
Total forensic scientist jobs: 88 Average annual salary: $84,152 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
7. Connecticut
Total forensic scientist jobs: 256 Average annual salary: $84,806 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
8. Maryland
Total forensic scientist jobs: 861 Average annual salary: $83,622 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 2.63
9. Nebraska
Total forensic scientist jobs: 90 Average annual salary: $92,251 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
10. Mississippi
Total forensic scientist jobs: 45 Average annual salary: $92,744 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.41
Forensic scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a forensic scientist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a forensic scientist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $107,427 | $75,000 | 739,795 | 61 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $93,411 | $64,000 | 755,393 | 76 |
| 3 | Utah | $95,125 | $59,000 | 3,101,833 | 209 |
| 4 | Delaware | $84,437 | $53,000 | 961,939 | 127 |
| 5 | Missouri | $93,108 | $58,000 | 6,113,532 | 365 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $84,152 | $53,000 | 1,059,639 | 88 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $84,806 | $54,000 | 3,588,184 | 256 |
| 8 | Maryland | $83,622 | $52,000 | 6,052,177 | 861 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $92,251 | $59,000 | 1,920,076 | 90 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $92,744 | $56,000 | 2,984,100 | 45 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $81,629 | $51,000 | 1,342,795 | 130 |
| 12 | Maine | $81,602 | $51,000 | 1,335,907 | 90 |
| 13 | Vermont | $79,396 | $50,000 | 623,657 | 65 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $81,730 | $51,000 | 1,815,857 | 66 |
| 15 | Ohio | $81,506 | $51,000 | 11,658,609 | 460 |
| 16 | California | $96,156 | $59,000 | 39,536,653 | 23 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $73,015 | $48,000 | 869,666 | 102 |
| 18 | Nevada | $80,884 | $49,000 | 2,998,039 | 102 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $78,176 | $49,000 | 9,005,644 | 892 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $75,069 | $47,000 | 12,805,537 | 900 |
| 21 | Illinois | $76,390 | $48,000 | 12,802,023 | 817 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $72,533 | $44,000 | 2,088,070 | 153 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $77,448 | $48,000 | 4,454,189 | 113 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $83,021 | $53,000 | 6,859,819 | 10 |
| 25 | Montana | $72,428 | $48,000 | 1,050,493 | 89 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $74,029 | $45,000 | 5,024,369 | 227 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $73,189 | $48,000 | 5,576,606 | 352 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $83,199 | $52,000 | 693,972 | 6 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $66,733 | $43,000 | 579,315 | 57 |
| 30 | Washington | $79,695 | $51,000 | 7,405,743 | 9 |
| 31 | Virginia | $68,145 | $42,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,004 |
| 32 | Colorado | $74,138 | $47,000 | 5,607,154 | 347 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $73,384 | $44,000 | 4,684,333 | 105 |
| 34 | New York | $68,400 | $43,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,137 |
| 35 | Oregon | $69,903 | $44,000 | 4,142,776 | 268 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $65,360 | $42,000 | 5,795,483 | 351 |
| 37 | Arizona | $68,826 | $42,000 | 7,016,270 | 253 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $61,284 | $47,000 | 1,427,538 | 69 |
| 39 | Iowa | $67,916 | $43,000 | 3,145,711 | 131 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $53,766 | $33,000 | 10,273,419 | 812 |
| 41 | Idaho | $61,392 | $39,000 | 1,716,943 | 103 |
| 42 | Indiana | $64,603 | $40,000 | 6,666,818 | 270 |
| 43 | Texas | $63,126 | $38,000 | 28,304,596 | 956 |
| 44 | Alabama | $62,747 | $38,000 | 4,874,747 | 142 |
| 45 | Michigan | $60,834 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 326 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $53,864 | $33,000 | 6,715,984 | 238 |
| 47 | Kansas | $50,487 | $31,000 | 2,913,123 | 160 |
| 48 | Georgia | $53,100 | $32,000 | 10,429,379 | 443 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $52,386 | $32,000 | 3,004,279 | 76 |
| 50 | Florida | $49,050 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 645 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $53,170 | $32,000 | 3,930,864 | 63 |
Highest paying states for forensic scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Forensic Scientist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $107,427 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $93,411 |
| 3 | Utah | $95,125 |
| 4 | Delaware | $84,437 |
| 5 | Missouri | $93,108 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $84,152 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $84,806 |
| 8 | Maryland | $83,622 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $92,251 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $92,744 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $81,629 |
| 12 | Maine | $81,602 |
| 13 | Vermont | $79,396 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $81,730 |
| 15 | Ohio | $81,506 |
| 16 | California | $96,156 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $73,015 |
| 18 | Nevada | $80,884 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $78,176 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $75,069 |
| 21 | Illinois | $76,390 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $72,533 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $77,448 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $83,021 |
| 25 | Montana | $72,428 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $74,029 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $73,189 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $83,199 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $66,733 |
| 30 | Washington | $79,695 |
| 31 | Virginia | $68,145 |
| 32 | Colorado | $74,138 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $73,384 |
| 34 | New York | $68,400 |
| 35 | Oregon | $69,903 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $65,360 |
| 37 | Arizona | $68,826 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $61,284 |
| 39 | Iowa | $67,916 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $53,766 |
| 41 | Idaho | $61,392 |
| 42 | Indiana | $64,603 |
| 43 | Texas | $63,126 |
| 44 | Alabama | $62,747 |
| 45 | Michigan | $60,834 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $53,864 |
| 47 | Kansas | $50,487 |
| 48 | Georgia | $53,100 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $52,386 |
| 50 | Florida | $49,050 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $53,170 |
Expert opinions on the best states for forensic scientists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for forensic scientists to find work opportunities?
Sami Mejri Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Science, Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs, Tiffin University
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.
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Updated January 8, 2025