Forensic Scientists

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences lists forensic science technician jobs on their website. There aren't necessarily a lot of positions posted here at any one time, but it is a good place to start your search.

You can also look for similar jobs on general job search websites. However, as there are many possible titles for these jobs, you should be sure to search under all the possibilities. These include: Ballistic Expert, Ballistician, Forensic Ballistics Expert, Crime Lab Technician, Crime Laboratory Analyst, Crime Scene Analyst, Crime Scene Investigator, Crime Scene Technician, Crime Specialist, Criminalist, Criminologist, Evidence Technician, Fingerprint Classifier, Fingerprint Expert, Forensic Chemist, Forensic Investigator, Forensic Pathology, Forensic Scientist, Keeler Polygraph Operator, Latent Fingerprint Examiner, Lie Detector Operator, Polygraph Examiner, Polygraph Operator, Ballistic Technician, Evidence Technician, and Forensic Science Technician, among others.

Different forensic technician jobs focus on different aspects of the job. You might want to concentrate on applying for the jobs which require the skills you have the most experience with, or enjoy the most. If you have a lot of experience with polygraph tests, it might be better to apply for a Polygraph Examiner Position rather than a more general position.

According to Payscale.com, if you are just getting started out on your career, you can expect to make a median salary of $30,000 to $40,000 per year or so. Those with 10 years experience have a median salary of $64,998 per year, so experience definitely makes a difference in salary for this career.

Working for the federal government is also likely to pay more than working for state and local governments or a university. Location also makes a difference, with those working in some cities making much more than those in other cities. Source: Certforensictechnician dot com.

Forensic scientists work in laboratories, morgues, police departments, hospitals or universities. Contrary to popular belief, only a few work on crime scenes. These professionals have a great detail of work with a wide variety of applications. Some of these Scientists work in the field of dactyloscopy, which is the study of fingerprints. These scientists are responsible for collecting and identifying fingerprints from crime scenes. Forensic Scientists also work with DNA testing and identification. By finding evidence on the scene such as pieces of hair or fingernails, they are able to successfully trace people who are connected to a crime. Also on the physical aspect, they may specialize in Odontology and Optometry, the studies of teeth and vision respectively. Odontology preceded the study of identifying saliva. In fact, one postal worker's bite was matched to the bite of a murder victim in the past. He was then sentenced to death. After the sentence had been carried out, years later when the study of matching saliva was introduced, it was discovered that the saliva on that bite did not match the postal worker's. For this reason, the field of Forensic Science is continually being improved and growing. Forensic Scientists do not work only with matters relating to anatomy and physiology of humans.

Forensic Scientists are also responsible for investigation into electronic matters. Digital Forensic Scientists work to obtain and recover important messages and documents through electronic media. Students who choose this major in college will have the choice of specializing in certain areas, depending on the program offered by the school.