Also called: Forensic Bug Scientist
Uses insects found on bodies to estimate time of death.
Forensic entomologists collect maggots and beetles from death scenes, raise them in the lab, and use their growth stages to figure out how long someone has been dead. Most are university professors who consult on cases.
Mostly academic salaries plus consulting fees.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 10 years after high school. A bachelor's in biology or entomology, then a PhD in entomology; board certification from the ABFE comes after casework experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Entomology, Biology, Zoology.
Growing slowly. Very small field.
Low risk for 10 years. Lab software models insect growth; collecting bugs at death scenes and testifying stay human.
Classes: AP Biology, Chemistry, AP Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1023.
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.