Forensic Science Technicians

Career Description: Collect, identify, classify, and analyze physical evidence related to criminal investigations. Perform tests on weapons or substances, such as fiber, hair, and tissue to determine significance to investigation. May testify as expert witnesses on evidence or crime laboratory techniques. May serve as specialists in area of expertise, such as ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, or biochemistry.

Industry: Life, Physical, and Social Science

Other Job Titles for Forensic Science Technicians:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Testify in court about investigative and analytical methods and findings.
• Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques.
• Interpret laboratory findings and test results to identify and classify substances, materials, and other evidence collected at crime scenes.
• Operate and maintain laboratory equipment and apparatus.
• Prepare solutions, reagents, and sample formulations needed for laboratory work.
• Analyze and classify biological fluids using DNA typing or serological techniques.
• Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity.
• Identify and quantify drugs and poisons found in biological fluids and tissues, in foods, and at crime scenes.
• Analyze handwritten and machine-produced textual evidence to decipher altered or obliterated text or to determine authorship, age, or source.
• Reconstruct crime scenes to determine relationships among pieces of evidence.
• Examine DNA samples to determine if they match other samples.
• Collect impressions of dust from surfaces to obtain and identify fingerprints.
• Analyze gunshot residue and bullet paths to determine how shootings occurred.
• Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations.
• Examine physical evidence such as hair, fiber, wood or soil residues to obtain information about its source and composition.
• Determine types of bullets used in shooting and if fired from a specific weapon.
• Examine firearms to determine mechanical condition and legal status, performing restoration work on damaged firearms to obtain information such as serial numbers.
• Interpret the pharmacological effects of a drug or a combination of drugs on an individual.
• Confer with ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, documents, electronics, medical, chemical, or metallurgical experts concerning evidence and its interpretation.
• Compare objects such as tools with impression marks to determine whether a specific object is responsible for a specific mark.
• Supervise or train students, environmental technologists, technicians, or other related staff.
• Conduct applied research on environmental topics, such as waste control and treatment and pollution abatement methods.
• Design and build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects.
• Observe the production, distribution, and consumption of food to identify and mitigate threats to food security.
• Analyze and characterize user experiences and institutional settings to assist consumer product developers, technology developers, and software engineers with the design of innovative products and services.
• Build geographic information systems (GIS) to record, analyze, and cartographically represent the distribution of languages, cultural and natural resources, land use, and settlement patterns of specific populations.
• Observe and measure bodily variations and physical attributes of different human groups.

Emerging Tasks

• Examine and analyze blood stain patterns at crime scenes.
• Keep records, including taking photographs of evidence, and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques.
• Train new technicians and other personnel on forensic science techniques.
• Use chemicals and other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases.
• Supervise the work of others including interns, clinicians in training, and other counselors.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• adhere to safety procedures
• advise governmental or industrial personnel
• analyze biological research, test, or analysis data
• analyze chemical experimental, test, or analysis data or findings
• analyze existing evidence or facts
• analyze handwriting
• analyze medical data
• analyze scientific research data or investigative findings
• classify plants, animals, or other natural phenomena
• collect samples for testing
• collect scientific or technical data
• communicate details in protective services settings
• communicate technical information
• compile biological data for criminal investigations
• compile evidence for court actions
• compile numerical or statistical data
• conduct analyses or tests of biological material samples
• conduct analyses or tests of organic compounds
• conduct analyses to determine physical properties of materials
• conduct field research or investigative studies
• conduct laboratory research or experiments
• conduct legal searches or investigations
• conduct standardized qualitative laboratory analyses
• conduct standardized quantitative laboratory analyses
• conduct tests or analyses of blood samples
• confer with engineering, technical or manufacturing personnel
• confer with scientists
• cooperate with court personnel or other law enforcement agencies
• create mathematical or statistical diagrams or charts
• develop or maintain databases
• develop tables depicting data
• draw maps or charts
• examine biological or other material specimens under microscope
• explain complex mathematical information
• file documents in court
• follow infectious materials procedures
• follow law enforcement methods or procedures
• follow microbiology procedures
• follow rules of evidence procedures in legal setting
• gather physical evidence
• identify fingerprints
• identify firearms or weapons
• identify properties of soil or water samples
• maintain records, reports, or files
• make decisions
• manage detailed records or files in law enforcement setting
• operate cameras
• operate industrial or nondestructive testing equipment
• prepare reports
• prepare sample for laboratory testing, analysis, or microscopy
• prepare technical reports or related documentation
• provide expert testimony on research results
• record test results, test procedures, or inspection data
• set up or calibrate laboratory equipment
• test materials or solutions
• testify in court for accident and criminal cases
• understand engineering data or reports
• understand properties of gases or liquids
• understand properties or composition of drugs
• understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
• use biological research techniques
• use biological testing instruments
• use chemical testing or analysis procedures
• use clinical sterilizing technique
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
• use government regulations
• use hazardous materials information
• use health or sanitation standards
• use interpersonal communication techniques
• use interviewing procedures
• use knowledge of investigation techniques
• use knowledge of materials testing procedures
• use knowledge of metric system
• use laboratory equipment
• use mathematical or statistical methods to identify or analyze problems
• use microscope
• use non-destructive test equipment
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use physical science research techniques
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• use quantitative research methods
• use relational database software
• use scientific research methodology
• use spreadsheet software
• use word processing or desktop publishing software
• verify investigative information
• work as a team member
• use medical lab techniques
• use microscope
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use project management techniques
• use quantitative research methods
• use relational database software
• use research methodology procedures in health care
• use sanitation practices in health care settings
• use scientific research methodology
• use spreadsheet software
• use word processing or desktop publishing software
• write research or project grant proposals
• write scholarly or technical research papers
• write technical health or medical documents

Overall Experience
A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Education
Most of these occupations require a four - year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, human resource managers, computer programmers, teachers, chemists, and police detectives.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$22.92
• Average annual wage (2007) - $47,680.00

• Projected growth (2006-2016): 30.74%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 4,012
• Employment (2006): 13,051

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