Average salary and benefits

Crime scene investigation is not the career path for you if you are apprehensive or disgusted by murder scenes. However, if you can stomach the job, your median salary would be about $55,660 per year, according to the BLS. Your earnings could exceed $84,980 annually if you are in the top 10 percent in pay. You would earn less than $32,760 if you fall in the bottom 10 percent. Either way, your benefits as a full-time worker may include health insurance, paid time off, and a pension fund or retirement plan.

salary by industry

Expect your earnings as a crime scene investigator to vary based on your type of employer. You would earn the highest annual salary working for the federal government, around $95,240, according to the BLS. If you work for a laboratory company or coroner's office, you would earn approximately $57,190 per year. Employment with the local police or county would earn you $54,990 per year. And his annual salary with the state government would be $54,550.

salary by state

Location is also a determining factor for your salary. You'd earn the most in the District of Columbia and Illinois, according to the BLS — $74,050 and $73,290 per year, respectively. His income would also be relatively high in California at $68,880 annually. Expect a salary closer to the national average in Arizona at $55,110 per year. And, your earnings in Florida would be a significantly lower $46,820 per year.

education and training

Your first step in becoming a crime scene investigator would be to earn a bachelor's degree in forensic science or natural science. However, he may only need a high school diploma if he lives in a rural area. But, you would need a bachelor's degree even in a rural area to do diagnostic work in a laboratory. After graduation, he would study DNA analysis as a trainee for six to 12 months, according to the BLS. It would then take around three years to gain experience in firearms analysis. Apprenticeship training is always done with someone with experience in crime scene investigation work. You should pass a competency test after your training. How Much Does A Crime Scene Investigator Make?

Job Outlook

The BLS reports that job growth in crime scene investigation is expected to increase 19 percent between 2010 and 2020. This growth rate compares to an average growth rate across all US occupations of 14 percent. Demand for faster crime scene analysis and technological advances in forensic science will fuel this growth.

2016 Salary Information for Forensic Science Technicians

Forensic technicians earned a median annual salary of $56,750 in 2016, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the low end, forensic science technicians earned a 25 percent salary of $42,710, meaning that 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $74,220, which means the top 25 percent earn the most. In 2016, 15,400 people were employed in the US as forensic science technicians.