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Forensic scientist salary
Average forensic scientist salary
$71,351
Understanding Forensic Scientist Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a forensic scientist in the United States is $71,351 per year. Salaries can range significantly based on various factors including geographic location, years of experience, and the sector of employment. For example, forensic scientists working in government positions may earn different salaries compared to those in private laboratories or law enforcement agencies.
Regions with higher living costs, such as California and New York, typically offer better compensation. Additionally, forensic scientists with specialized skills or advanced degrees may command higher salaries. For instance, those working in forensic biology or toxicology might see increased earning potential compared to general forensic science roles.
Top Paying States
- California
- New York
- Texas
- Florida
- Illinois
By understanding these factors, aspiring forensic scientists can tailor their career paths to optimize their earning potential while making valuable contributions to the field of criminal justice.
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Where can a Forensic Scientist earn more?
Forensic scientist salary estimates from across the web
Average forensic scientist salary by state
The average forensic scientist salary in Alaska, California, and Utah are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average forensic scientist salary states are North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for forensic scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $107,427 | $51.65 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $93,411 | $44.91 |
| 3 | Utah | $95,125 | $45.73 |
| 4 | Delaware | $84,437 | $40.59 |
| 5 | Missouri | $93,108 | $44.76 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $84,152 | $40.46 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $84,806 | $40.77 |
| 8 | Maryland | $83,622 | $40.20 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $92,251 | $44.35 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $92,744 | $44.59 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $81,629 | $39.24 |
| 12 | Maine | $81,602 | $39.23 |
| 13 | Vermont | $79,396 | $38.17 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $81,730 | $39.29 |
| 15 | Ohio | $81,506 | $39.19 |
| 16 | California | $96,156 | $46.23 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $73,015 | $35.10 |
| 18 | Nevada | $80,884 | $38.89 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $78,176 | $37.58 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $75,069 | $36.09 |
| 21 | Illinois | $76,390 | $36.73 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $72,533 | $34.87 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $77,448 | $37.23 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $83,021 | $39.91 |
| 25 | Montana | $72,428 | $34.82 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $74,029 | $35.59 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $73,189 | $35.19 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $83,199 | $40.00 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $66,733 | $32.08 |
| 30 | Washington | $79,695 | $38.31 |
| 31 | Virginia | $68,145 | $32.76 |
| 32 | Colorado | $74,138 | $35.64 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $73,384 | $35.28 |
| 34 | New York | $68,400 | $32.88 |
| 35 | Oregon | $69,903 | $33.61 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $65,360 | $31.42 |
| 37 | Arizona | $68,826 | $33.09 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $61,284 | $29.46 |
| 39 | Iowa | $67,916 | $32.65 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $53,766 | $25.85 |
| 41 | Idaho | $61,392 | $29.52 |
| 42 | Indiana | $64,603 | $31.06 |
| 43 | Texas | $63,126 | $30.35 |
| 44 | Alabama | $62,747 | $30.17 |
| 45 | Michigan | $60,834 | $29.25 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $53,864 | $25.90 |
| 47 | Kansas | $50,487 | $24.27 |
| 48 | Georgia | $53,100 | $25.53 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $52,386 | $25.19 |
| 50 | Florida | $49,050 | $23.58 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $53,170 | $25.56 |
Highest paying cities for forensic scientists
The highest-paying cities for forensic scientists are Lincoln, NE, Bridgeport, CT, and Dover, DE.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln, NE | $92,039 | $44.25 |
| 2 | Bridgeport, CT | $85,112 | $40.92 |
| 3 | Dover, DE | $84,342 | $40.55 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $83,817 | $40.30 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $83,256 | $40.03 |
| 6 | Vancouver, WA | $80,717 | $38.81 |
| 7 | Henderson, NV | $79,881 | $38.40 |
| 8 | Henderson, KY | $75,599 | $36.35 |
| 9 | Norristown, PA | $75,452 | $36.27 |
| 10 | Aurora, CO | $74,065 | $35.61 |
| 11 | Saint Paul, MN | $73,308 | $35.24 |
| 12 | Glendale, AZ | $68,996 | $33.17 |
| 13 | New Windsor, NY | $68,276 | $32.83 |
| 14 | Richmond, VA | $68,134 | $32.76 |
| 15 | Madison, WI | $64,920 | $31.21 |
| 16 | Indianapolis, IN | $64,444 | $30.98 |
| 17 | San Marcos, TX | $62,809 | $30.20 |
| 18 | Meridian, ID | $61,991 | $29.80 |
| 19 | Durham, NC | $54,798 | $26.35 |
| 20 | Oklahoma City, OK | $53,560 | $25.75 |
Forensic scientist salary details
A forensic scientist's salary ranges from $45,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $112,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a forensic scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $112,000 | $9,333 | $54 |
| 75th Percentile | $90,000 | $7,500 | $43 |
| Average | $71,351 | $5,946 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| 10th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
Highest paying forensic scientist jobs
The highest paying types of forensic scientists are medical science liaison, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Research Chemist | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36.46 | 53,769 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Fingerprint Technician | $39,867 | $3,322 | $19.17 | 23,737 |
Top companies hiring forensic scientists now:
Which companies pay forensic scientists the most?
Forensic scientist salaries at Alere and Abbott are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average forensic scientist salary at companies like Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc. and Quest Diagnostics are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alere | $99,228 | $47.71 |
| 2 | Abbott | $93,960 | $45.17 |
| 3 | Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc. | $86,830 | $41.75 |
| 4 | Quest Diagnostics | $83,140 | $39.97 |
| 5 | RTI International Metals | $80,603 | $38.75 |
| 6 | Pacific Architects and Engineers | $74,715 | $35.92 |
| 7 | Arapahoe County | $67,671 | $32.53 |
| 8 | Technical Associates | $66,342 | $31.90 |
| 9 | Anoka County | $65,250 | $31.37 |
| 10 | City of Scottsdale | $64,693 | $31.10 |
| 11 | Washington State University | $64,416 | $30.97 |
| 12 | SOS International | $63,750 | $30.65 |
| 13 | Colorado State Express | $63,040 | $30.31 |
| 14 | Minnesota State Fair | $58,522 | $28.14 |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin System | $57,622 | $27.70 |
| 16 | Alaska State Library | $57,215 | $27.51 |
| 17 | Kelly Services | $54,743 | $26.32 |
| 18 | The State of Oregon | $53,882 | $25.90 |
| 19 | City of Mesa | $53,289 | $25.62 |
| 20 | New York State Restaurant Association | $53,280 | $25.62 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Forensic Scientist salary by industry
The average forensic scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average forensic scientist salary in the health care industry is $81,611, the highest of any industry.
- The average forensic scientist salary in the finance industry is $78,715.
- Forensic scientists in the government industry earn an average salary of $53,275, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for forensic scientists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $81,611 | $39.24 |
| 2 | Technology | $78,715 | $37.84 |
| 3 | Professional | $67,573 | $32.49 |
| 4 | Government | $53,275 | $25.61 |
High paying forensic scientist jobs
Forensic scientist salary trends
The average forensic scientist salary has risen by $9,904 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average forensic scientist earned $61,447 annually, but today, they earn $71,351 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for forensic scientists over the last decade.
Compare forensic scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average forensic scientist salary over time
Compare forensic scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Forensic scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $71,400 | $34.30 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $69,700 | $33.49 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $68,600 | $32.97 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | $68,100 | $32.75 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $66,800 | $32.13 | +0.8% |
Recently added forensic scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of South Dakota | Forensic Scientist-Firearms and Toolmark Examiner | Pierre, SD | 06/29/2025 | $51,787 |
| DHRM | Forensic Scientist-Forensic Biology-Northern Laboratory-Cf905 | Manassas, VA | 06/18/2025 | $62,845 |
| Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department | Forensic Scientist I (Formerly Forensic Scientist Trainee)-Toxicology | Las Vegas, NV | 06/03/2025 | $69,969 |
| State of Washington | Forensic Scientist 3 (In-Training) Latent Prints-Cheney Lab | Spokane, WA | 06/03/2025 | $58,380 |
| State of South Dakota | Forensic Scientist-Firearms and Toolmark Examiner | Pierre, SD | 05/31/2025 | $51,787 |
| State of Colorado | CBI Forensic Scientist Agent III (Trace Chemistry/Fire Debris) | Denver, CO | 05/29/2025 | $91,800 |
| City of Mesa (Az | Forensic Scientist I, II, or III-Latent Print Unit | Mesa, AZ | 05/24/2025 | $89,956 |
| State of North Carolina | Forensic Scientist II (60010652) | Raleigh, NC | 05/22/2025 | $55,823 |
| DHRM | Forensic Scientist or Trainee-Latent Prints-Northern Laboratory-Cf372 | Manassas, VA | 05/19/2025 | $61,015 |
| J.S. Held | Forensic Scientist and Technician | Orlando, FL | 05/17/2025 | $80,000 |
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