Forensic scientist demographics and statistics in the US
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Forensic scientist demographics by:
Forensic scientist gender statistics
56.9% of forensic scientists are women and 43.1% of forensic scientists are men.
- Female, 56.9%
- Male, 43.1%
Forensic scientist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 56.9% |
| Male | 43.1% |
Forensic scientist gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$77,519
Female income
$73,698
Forensic scientist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in forensic scientist positions over time. Currently, 56.9% of forensic scientists are female.
Forensic scientist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 47.95% | 52.05% |
| 2011 | 44.99% | 55.01% |
| 2012 | 44.46% | 55.54% |
| 2013 | 48.25% | 51.75% |
| 2014 | 45.91% | 54.09% |
| 2015 | 45.93% | 54.07% |
| 2016 | 45.31% | 54.69% |
| 2017 | 46.71% | 53.29% |
| 2018 | 47.10% | 52.90% |
| 2019 | 41.89% | 58.11% |
| 2020 | 44.85% | 55.15% |
| 2021 | 43.14% | 56.86% |
Forensic scientist related jobs gender ratio
We compared forensic scientists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, precision crop manager and chemical compounder have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Feed Research Aide | 13% | 87% |
| Taste Tester | 15% | 85% |
| Formula Technician | 27% | 73% |
| Forensic Scientist | 43% | 57% |
| Hot Cell Technician | 97% | 3% |
| Chemical Compounder | 98% | 2% |
| Precision Crop Manager | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Forensic scientist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among forensic scientists is White, which makes up 56.6% of all forensic scientists. Comparatively, 15.7% of forensic scientists are Hispanic or Latino and 10.5% of forensic scientists are Asian.
- White, 56.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.7%
- Asian, 10.5%
- Black or African American, 10.0%
- Unknown, 6.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
Forensic scientist race
| Forensic scientist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 56.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.7% |
| Asian | 10.5% |
| Black or African American | 10.0% |
| Unknown | 6.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.2% |
Forensic scientist race and ethnicity over time
See how forensic scientist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Forensic scientist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.44% | 8.23% | 8.66% | 11.75% |
| 2011 | 64.53% | 10.01% | 10.08% | 11.02% |
| 2012 | 66.25% | 9.08% | 10.05% | 10.56% |
| 2013 | 64.11% | 9.81% | 10.13% | 11.90% |
| 2014 | 64.28% | 9.67% | 10.40% | 11.62% |
| 2015 | 62.91% | 9.48% | 10.00% | 13.28% |
| 2016 | 63.44% | 10.08% | 10.07% | 12.53% |
| 2017 | 61.21% | 8.74% | 10.64% | 14.77% |
| 2018 | 61.98% | 8.42% | 11.61% | 13.49% |
| 2019 | 63.37% | 8.12% | 10.19% | 13.68% |
| 2020 | 59.10% | 10.29% | 10.69% | 12.91% |
| 2021 | 56.65% | 10.00% | 10.50% | 15.74% |
Forensic scientist wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown forensic scientists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american forensic scientists have the lowest average salary at $76,588.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $79,201 |
| White | $77,390 |
| Black or African American | $76,588 |
| Asian | $76,830 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $77,612 |
Average forensic scientist age
See how the average age of forensic scientists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Forensic scientist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 35.5 | 38.5 |
| Unknown | 35 | 34 |
| Asian | 30 | 29 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 33 | 33 |
| White | 37 | 35 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 39 |
Forensic scientist age breakdown
The average age of forensic scientists is 40+ years years old, representing 40% of the forensic scientist population.
Forensic scientist age breakdown
| Forensic Scientist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 40% |
| 30-40 years | 26% |
| 20-30 years | 33% |
Forensic scientist educational attainment
The most common degree for forensic scientists is bachelor's degree, with 80% of forensic scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 4%.
- Bachelor's, 80%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Forensic scientists by degree level
| Forensic scientist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 80% |
| Master's | 13% |
| Associate | 4% |
| Doctorate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Forensic scientist jobs you might like
Forensic scientist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, forensic scientists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $83,970 annually. With a Associate degree, forensic scientists earn a median annual income of $76,094 compared to $72,251 for forensic scientists with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $83,970 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $69,186 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $72,251 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $76,094 |
Forensic scientist employment statistics
Most forensic scientists work for a government in the government industry.
Company size where forensic scientists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where forensic scientists work.
Forensic scientist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 21% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 31% |
| > 10,000 employees | 8% |
Forensic scientist jobs by company type
Employees with the forensic scientist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most forensic scientists prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
Forensic scientist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 14% |
| Public | 7% |
| Private | 32% |
| Government | 47% |
Forensic scientist jobs by industry
The most common industries for forensic scientists are government, education and professional.
Forensic scientist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 41% |
| Education | 14% |
| Professional | 13% |
| Health Care | 9% |
| Media | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Utilities | 2% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
Forensic scientist turnover and employment statistics
Forensic scientist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for forensic scientists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Forensic scientist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Forensic scientist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.78% |
| 2011 | 6.41% |
| 2012 | 6.49% |
| 2013 | 6.74% |
| 2014 | 6.13% |
| 2015 | 4.16% |
| 2016 | 4.16% |
| 2017 | 4.43% |
| 2018 | 4.24% |
| 2019 | 3.68% |
| 2020 | 3.86% |
| 2021 | 4.42% |
Average forensic scientist tenure
The average forensic scientist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 690 forensic scientists resumes in Zippia's database.
Forensic scientist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 15% |
| 1-2 years | 26% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 19% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 18% |
Forensic scientist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of forensic scientists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Fisheries Biological Technician | 5.71% | 7,690 |
| Plant Control Aide | 7.88% | 79,483 |
| Forensic Scientist | 8.16% | - |
| Spectrograph Operator | 9.49% | 31,947 |
Similar forensic scientist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Fisheries Biological Technician | 5.71% | 7,690 |
| Plant Control Aide | 7.88% | 79,483 |
| Spectrograph Operator | 9.49% | 31,947 |
Foreign languages spoken by forensic scientists
The most common foreign language among forensic scientists is Spanish at 22.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.7% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 5.6%.
- Spanish, 22.2%
- French, 16.7%
- Chinese, 5.6%
- Ukrainian, 5.6%
- Bosnian, 5.6%
- Other, 44.3%
Forensic scientist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 22.2% |
| French | 16.7% |
| Chinese | 5.6% |
| Ukrainian | 5.6% |
| Bosnian | 5.6% |
| Other | 44.3% |
