Runs a city, state, or federal crime lab and its teams of scientists.
Reviews case backlogs, approves new DNA equipment purchases, prepares for an accreditation audit, and meets with prosecutors.
Estimate; government pay.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 12 years after high school. Master's in forensic science plus 10+ years of lab experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Forensic Science, Chemistry, Biology.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Estimate.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps manage caseloads, but leading scientists, accreditation and working with courts stay human.
Classes: Chemistry, Statistics, Speech or debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9121.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.