Also called: Computer Forensics Analyst, Mobile Device Examiner
Extracts evidence from phones, computers, and cloud accounts.
Digital forensic examiners use specialized tools to recover deleted texts, photos, and location history from seized devices, then write reports and testify. Nearly every crime now has digital evidence.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in computer science or digital forensics; certifications like GCFE or CCE.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Digital Forensics, Computer Science, Cybersecurity.
Growing much faster than average. Approximate; strong demand.
Medium risk for 10 years. Forensic tools now auto-extract and AI-sort phone data; fewer analysts per case, with humans verifying and testifying.
Classes: AP Computer Science, Networking / IT CTE, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-1299.
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.