Forensic specialist vs crime scene technician

The differences between forensic specialists 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 specialist and a crime scene technician. Additionally, a crime scene technician has an average salary of $51,741, which is higher than the $51,653 average annual salary of a forensic specialist.

The top three skills for a forensic specialist include social work, encase and criminal justice. The most important skills for a crime scene technician are biohazard, demolition, and physical evidence.

Forensic specialist vs crime scene technician overview

	Forensic Specialist	Crime Scene Technician
Yearly salary	$51,653	$51,741
Hourly rate	$24.83	$24.88
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	1,338	5,535
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

What does a forensic specialist do?

Forensic Specialists analyze and evaluate physical evidence using different analysis methods like chemical, instrumental, microscopic, and physical. They are sometimes required to work with blood and other biological fluids, hair, gunshot residue, etc. Forensic Specialist duties depend on their area of expertise. Some specialists spend their days in a lab; others spend their visiting crime scenes searching for evidence. No matter what specialization they're in, their core responsibilities are to collect, document, preserve, test, and report evidence that is then submitted to those in charge of the case.

What does a crime scene technician do?

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 specialist vs crime scene technician salary

Forensic specialists and crime scene technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forensic Specialist	Crime Scene Technician
Average salary	$51,653	$51,741
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $79,000	Between $33,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	Santa Monica, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	QED Group	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between forensic specialist and crime scene technician education

There are a few differences between a forensic specialist and a crime scene technician in terms of educational background:

	Forensic Specialist	Crime Scene Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Forensic specialist vs crime scene technician demographics

Here are the differences between forensic specialists' and crime scene technicians' demographics:

	Forensic Specialist	Crime Scene Technician
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9%	Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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%

Differences between forensic specialist and crime scene technician duties and responsibilities

Forensic specialist example responsibilities.

Manage use and maintenance of company vehicle, surveying equip., cameras, and firearms.
Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
Secure and track any DNA evidence submit for testing.
Examine evidence for the presence of biological material and collect potential DNA samples.
Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
Assess for risk of suicide, homicide, psychosis and other safety concerns.

Crime scene technician example responsibilities.

Process crime scenes for fingerprints, DNA (various types), trace evidence, bloodstain pattern analysis, bullet trajectory.
Collaborate with federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, KBI and IRS.
Check SID numbers in RAS system.
Perform enrollment procedures in helping TWs acquire their TWIC card.
Require to run NCIC on all persons requesting their weapons return.
Produce clear and classify fingerprints for immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship.

Forensic specialist vs crime scene technician skills

Common forensic specialist skills

Social Work, 10%
Encase, 8%
Criminal Justice, 8%
Mental Health, 6%
Digital Forensics, 5%
Forensic Interviews, 5%

Common crime scene technician skills

Biohazard, 33%
Demolition, 30%
Physical Evidence, 13%
Crime Scene Investigation, 6%
Latent Prints, 3%
Crime Lab, 2%

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Forensic Specialist
Forensic Specialist vs Crime Scene Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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