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Forensic specialist salary
Average forensic specialist salary
$51,653
Average Forensic Specialist Salary
The typical salary for a forensic specialist is approximately $51,653 per year, translating to about $25 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific industry of employment. For instance, forensic specialists working in high-demand sectors, such as law enforcement or private investigation, often command higher salaries.
Highest Paying States for Forensic Specialists
Geographic location plays a crucial role in salary potential. States like California, Texas, and Florida offer some of the highest salaries for forensic specialists. Furthermore, positions in metropolitan areas typically provide better compensation compared to rural settings.
Forensic Specialist Salary by Industry
Industries such as criminal justice, healthcare, and private security offer varying pay scales. For example, forensic specialists in the healthcare sector may earn more due to the specialized nature of their work. Understanding these dynamics helps job seekers make informed career decisions.
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Where can a Forensic Specialist earn more?
Forensic specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average forensic specialist salary by state
The average forensic specialist salary in Alaska, California, and Utah are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average forensic specialist salary states are Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for forensic specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $92,380 | $44.41 |
| 2 | Nebraska | $75,581 | $36.34 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $74,263 | $35.70 |
| 4 | Utah | $76,702 | $36.88 |
| 5 | Delaware | $60,330 | $29.00 |
| 6 | Nevada | $60,722 | $29.19 |
| 7 | Montana | $59,852 | $28.77 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $59,939 | $28.82 |
| 9 | California | $80,516 | $38.71 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $73,399 | $35.29 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $59,041 | $28.39 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $56,222 | $27.03 |
| 13 | Maryland | $60,091 | $28.89 |
| 14 | Washington | $65,709 | $31.59 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $56,961 | $27.39 |
| 16 | Ohio | $59,883 | $28.79 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $57,899 | $27.84 |
| 18 | Iowa | $53,203 | $25.58 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $60,007 | $28.85 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $59,892 | $28.79 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $58,675 | $28.21 |
| 22 | Florida | $53,790 | $25.86 |
| 23 | Oregon | $56,031 | $26.94 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $56,053 | $26.95 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $53,541 | $25.74 |
| 26 | Arizona | $53,471 | $25.71 |
| 27 | Colorado | $59,176 | $28.45 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $57,413 | $27.60 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $55,525 | $26.69 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | $56,845 | $27.33 |
| 31 | Vermont | $53,730 | $25.83 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $59,239 | $28.48 |
| 33 | Texas | $54,852 | $26.37 |
| 34 | Illinois | $57,410 | $27.60 |
| 35 | New York | $53,207 | $25.58 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $55,506 | $26.69 |
| 37 | Maine | $54,104 | $26.01 |
| 38 | Idaho | $50,353 | $24.21 |
| 39 | Alabama | $49,998 | $24.04 |
| 40 | New Jersey | $55,289 | $26.58 |
| 41 | Indiana | $48,573 | $23.35 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $48,508 | $23.32 |
| 43 | Virginia | $49,439 | $23.77 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $42,722 | $20.54 |
| 45 | Michigan | $44,089 | $21.20 |
| 46 | Georgia | $42,193 | $20.29 |
| 47 | Missouri | $47,383 | $22.78 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $39,870 | $19.17 |
| 49 | Kansas | $41,478 | $19.94 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $42,886 | $20.62 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $42,652 | $20.51 |
Highest paying cities for forensic specialists
The highest-paying cities for forensic specialists are Santa Monica, CA, Las Vegas, NV, and Urban Honolulu, HI.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Monica, CA | $79,740 | $38.34 |
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | $60,661 | $29.16 |
| 3 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $59,988 | $28.84 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $59,964 | $28.83 |
| 5 | Colorado Springs, CO | $59,192 | $28.46 |
| 6 | Cheyenne, WY | $56,147 | $26.99 |
| 7 | Farmington, NM | $56,060 | $26.95 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $55,577 | $26.72 |
| 9 | Dallas, TX | $54,875 | $26.38 |
| 10 | Clermont, FL | $54,327 | $26.12 |
| 11 | Harrisburg, PA | $53,584 | $25.76 |
| 12 | New York, NY | $53,339 | $25.64 |
| 13 | Huntsville, AL | $50,361 | $24.21 |
| 14 | Kansas City, MO | $47,495 | $22.83 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $42,309 | $20.34 |
Forensic specialist salary details
A forensic specialist's salary ranges from $33,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $79,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a forensic specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $79,000 | $6,583 | $38 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| Average | $51,653 | $4,304 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
Highest paying forensic specialist jobs
The highest paying types of forensic specialists are forensic scientist, forensic toxicologist, and criminalist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Scene Technician | $51,741 | $4,312 | $24.88 | 5,535 |
| Fingerprint Technician | $39,867 | $3,322 | $19.17 | 23,737 |
| Criminalist | $68,152 | $5,679 | $32.77 | 14,872 |
| Forensic Computer Examiner | $66,393 | $5,533 | $31.92 | 16,108 |
| Computer Forensics Technician | $50,698 | $4,225 | $24.37 | 19,018 |
| Forensic Investigator | $52,267 | $4,356 | $25.13 | 5,032 |
Top companies hiring forensic specialists now:
Which companies pay forensic specialists the most?
Forensic specialist salaries at QED Group and Amyx are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average forensic specialist salary at companies like Aerojet Rocketdyne and Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc. are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QED Group | $77,359 | $37.19 |
| 2 | Amyx | $64,293 | $30.91 |
| 3 | Aerojet Rocketdyne | $63,077 | $30.33 |
| 4 | Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc. | $62,385 | $29.99 |
| 5 | Pacific Architects and Engineers | $57,412 | $27.60 |
| 6 | Northrop Grumman | $57,164 | $27.48 |
| 7 | ManTech | $56,226 | $27.03 |
| 8 | Best Contracting Services | $55,189 | $26.53 |
| 9 | NANA | $54,572 | $26.24 |
| 10 | Envistacom | $53,957 | $25.94 |
| 11 | The Independent Traveler | $53,454 | $25.70 |
| 12 | Kansas City Police Department | $53,403 | $25.67 |
| 13 | Prescient Edge | $53,325 | $25.64 |
| 14 | City of Santa Monica | $52,645 | $25.31 |
| 15 | State of Nevada Employees' Association Inc | $52,615 | $25.30 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $48,721 | $23.42 |
| 17 | Calhoun International | $48,524 | $23.33 |
| 18 | Raytheon Technologies | $47,988 | $23.07 |
| 19 | NHTC | $46,940 | $22.57 |
| 20 | Safe Horizon | $46,589 | $22.40 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Forensic Specialist salary by industry
The average forensic specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average forensic specialist salary in the government industry is $52,710, the highest of any industry.
- The average forensic specialist salary in the finance industry is $52,280.
- Forensic specialists in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $44,127, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for forensic specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $52,710 | $25.34 |
| 2 | Professional | $52,280 | $25.13 |
| 3 | Health Care | $47,273 | $22.73 |
| 4 | Non Profits | $44,127 | $21.21 |
High paying forensic specialist jobs
Forensic specialist salary trends
The average forensic specialist salary has risen by $7,170 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average forensic specialist earned $44,483 annually, but today, they earn $51,653 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for forensic specialists over the last decade.
Compare forensic specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average forensic specialist salary over time
Compare forensic specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Forensic specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,700 | $24.83 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $50,400 | $24.24 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $49,600 | $23.87 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | $49,300 | $23.71 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $48,400 | $23.26 | +0.8% |
Recently added forensic specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cayuse Holdings | Junior Computer Forensics Specialist | Hawaii | 06/28/2025 | $119,000 |
| Alpha Omega Integration | Forensic Specialist | Vienna, VA | 06/26/2025 | $89,378 |
| Access Services | Forensic Certified Peer Specialist: Justice Related Services | Plymouth Meeting, PA | 06/25/2025 | $41,740 |
| Spokane County | Forensic Specialist (Civil Service) | Ione, WA | 06/24/2025 | $73,805 |
| Multicare Health System | Peer Specialist-Forensic Path | Lakewood, WA | 06/18/2025 | $47,938 |
| Horizon Services | Forensic Peer Specialist | Pleasanton, CA | 06/14/2025 | $6,000 |
| Starcare Specialty Health System | Forensic Screening Specialist | Lubbock, TX | 05/17/2025 | $46,290 |
| State of Ohio | Computer Forensic Specialist-Ag | London, OH | 04/30/2025 | $63,779 |
| Dasstateoh | Computer Forensic Specialist-Ag | Columbus, OH | 04/28/2025 | $63,779 |
| Independent Living | Forensic Peer Specialist | Middletown, NY | 04/19/2025 | $47,062 |
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