Also called: Bone Detective
Identifies human remains from skeletons to help solve crimes and disasters.
Forensic anthropologists examine bones to estimate age, sex, height, and injuries, help recover remains at crime scenes, and identify missing soldiers for the military's DPAA lab.
Top tier due to PhD training.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 10 years after high school. PhD in biological anthropology.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Anthropology, Biology, Forensic Science.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. 3D scanning and AI help estimate age and sex from bones, but recovering remains and expert testimony stay human.
Classes: AP Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Chemistry, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-3091.
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.