Quoted Expert
Patricia Rankin
Average forensic scientist salary
$71,351
$34.3 hourly rate
Entry-level forensic scientist salary
$45,000 yearly salary
Updated June 25, 2024
How much does a forensic scientist make?
The average forensic scientist salary in the United States is $71,351. Forensic scientist salaries typically range between $45,000 and $112,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for forensic scientists is $34.3 per hour.
Forensic scientist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Forensic scientists earn the highest average salary in Alaska.
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Forensic scientist salary by:
- State
- City
- Company
- Industry
- Trends
Where can a Forensic Scientist earn more?
Compare salary by location
Vs
104k
84k
64k
44k
24k
Ashburn, VA$92,039
Compare salary by company
Vs
123k
103k
83k
63k
43k
23k
Alere$99,228
New York State Restaurant Association$53,280
Forensic Scientist salary estimates from across the web
Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, SalaryExpert, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a forensic scientist typically falls between $57,072 and $109,980.
Average forensic scientist salary by state
The average forensic scientist salary in Alaska, California, and Utah are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average forensic scientist salary states are North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Georgia.
- State View
- County View
Average Salary:
Highest paying states for forensic scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $107,427 | $51.65 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $93,411 | $44.91 |
| 3 | Utah | $95,125 | $45.73 |
| 4 | Delaware | $84,437 | $40.59 |
| 5 | Missouri | $93,108 | $44.76 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $84,152 | $40.46 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $84,806 | $40.77 |
| 8 | Maryland | $83,622 | $40.20 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $92,251 | $44.35 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $92,744 | $44.59 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $81,629 | $39.24 |
| 12 | Maine | $81,602 | $39.23 |
| 13 | Vermont | $79,396 | $38.17 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $81,730 | $39.29 |
| 15 | Ohio | $81,506 | $39.19 |
| 16 | California | $96,156 | $46.23 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $73,015 | $35.10 |
| 18 | Nevada | $80,884 | $38.89 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $78,176 | $37.58 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $75,069 | $36.09 |
| 21 | Illinois | $76,390 | $36.73 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $72,533 | $34.87 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $77,448 | $37.23 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $83,021 | $39.91 |
| 25 | Montana | $72,428 | $34.82 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $74,029 | $35.59 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $73,189 | $35.19 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $83,199 | $40.00 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $66,733 | $32.08 |
| 30 | Washington | $79,695 | $38.31 |
| 31 | Virginia | $68,145 | $32.76 |
| 32 | Colorado | $74,138 | $35.64 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $73,384 | $35.28 |
| 34 | New York | $68,400 | $32.88 |
| 35 | Oregon | $69,903 | $33.61 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $65,360 | $31.42 |
| 37 | Arizona | $68,826 | $33.09 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $61,284 | $29.46 |
| 39 | Iowa | $67,916 | $32.65 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $53,766 | $25.85 |
| 41 | Idaho | $61,392 | $29.52 |
| 42 | Indiana | $64,603 | $31.06 |
| 43 | Texas | $63,126 | $30.35 |
| 44 | Alabama | $62,747 | $30.17 |
| 45 | Michigan | $60,834 | $29.25 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $53,864 | $25.90 |
| 47 | Kansas | $50,487 | $24.27 |
| 48 | Georgia | $53,100 | $25.53 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $52,386 | $25.19 |
| 50 | Florida | $49,050 | $23.58 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $53,170 | $25.56 |
Top forensic scientist jobs near you
Highest paying cities for forensic scientists
The highest-paying cities for forensic scientists are Lincoln, NE, Bridgeport, CT, and Dover, DE.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln, NE | $92,039 | $44.25 |
| 2 | Bridgeport, CT | $85,112 | $40.92 |
| 3 | Dover, DE | $84,342 | $40.55 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $83,817 | $40.30 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $83,256 | $40.03 |
| 6 | Vancouver, WA | $80,717 | $38.81 |
| 7 | Henderson, NV | $79,881 | $38.40 |
| 8 | Henderson, KY | $75,599 | $36.35 |
| 9 | Norristown, PA | $75,452 | $36.27 |
| 10 | Aurora, CO | $74,065 | $35.61 |
| 11 | Saint Paul, MN | $73,308 | $35.24 |
| 12 | Glendale, AZ | $68,996 | $33.17 |
| 13 | New Windsor, NY | $68,276 | $32.83 |
| 14 | Richmond, VA | $68,134 | $32.76 |
| 15 | Madison, WI | $64,920 | $31.21 |
| 16 | Indianapolis, IN | $64,444 | $30.98 |
| 17 | San Marcos, TX | $62,809 | $30.20 |
| 18 | Meridian, ID | $61,991 | $29.80 |
| 19 | Durham, NC | $54,798 | $26.35 |
| 20 | Oklahoma City, OK | $53,560 | $25.75 |
Forensic Scientist salary details
A forensic scientist's salary ranges from $45,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $112,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a forensic scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $112,000 | $9,333 | $54 |
| 75th Percentile | $90,000 | $7,500 | $43 |
| Average | $71,351 | $5,946 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| 10th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
Highest paying forensic scientist jobs
The highest paying types of forensic scientists are medical science liaison, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Research Chemist | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36.46 | 53,769 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Fingerprint Technician | $39,867 | $3,322 | $19.17 | 23,737 |
Top companies hiring forensic scientists now:
- Quest Diagnostics Jobs (95)
- BAE Systems Jobs (17)
- PSEA Jobs (6)
- Minnesota State Fair Jobs (5)
- University of Wisconsin System Jobs (3)
Which companies pay forensic scientists the most?
Forensic scientist salaries at Alere and Abbott are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average forensic scientist salary at companies like Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc. and Quest Diagnostics are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alere | $99,228 | $47.71 |
| 2 | Abbott | $93,960 | $45.17 |
| 3 | Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc. | $86,830 | $41.75 |
| 4 | Quest Diagnostics | $83,140 | $39.97 |
| 5 | RTI International Metals | $80,603 | $38.75 |
| 6 | Pacific Architects and Engineers | $74,715 | $35.92 |
| 7 | Arapahoe County | $67,671 | $32.53 |
| 8 | Technical Associates | $66,342 | $31.90 |
| 9 | Anoka County | $65,250 | $31.37 |
| 10 | City of Scottsdale | $64,693 | $31.10 |
| 11 | Washington State University | $64,416 | $30.97 |
| 12 | SOS International | $63,750 | $30.65 |
| 13 | Colorado State Express | $63,040 | $30.31 |
| 14 | Minnesota State Fair | $58,522 | $28.14 |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin System | $57,622 | $27.70 |
| 16 | Alaska State Library | $57,215 | $27.51 |
| 17 | Kelly Services | $54,743 | $26.32 |
| 18 | The State of Oregon | $53,882 | $25.90 |
| 19 | City of Mesa | $53,289 | $25.62 |
| 20 | New York State Restaurant Association | $53,280 | $25.62 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
$78,000$77,000$76,000$75,000$74,000$73,000
MaleFemale
Forensic Scientist salary by industry
The average forensic scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average forensic scientist salary in the health care industry is $81,611, the highest of any industry.
- The average forensic scientist salary in the finance industry is $78,715.
- Forensic scientists in the government industry earn an average salary of $53,275, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for forensic scientists
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $81,611 | $39.24 |
| 2 | Technology | $78,715 | $37.84 |
| 3 | Professional | $67,573 | $32.49 |
| 4 | Government | $53,275 | $25.61 |
High Paying Forensic Scientist Jobs
Forensic Scientist salary trends
The average forensic scientist salary has risen by $9,904 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average forensic scientist earned $61,447 annually, but today, they earn $71,351 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for forensic scientists over the last decade.
Compare forensic scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average forensic scientist salary over time
Compare forensic scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Forensic Scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $71,400 | $34.30 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $69,700 | $33.49 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $68,600 | $32.97 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | $68,100 | $32.75 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | $66,800 | $32.13 | +0.8% |
Show more
Recently added forensic scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County of Cuyahoga | Forensic Scientist | Cleveland, OH | 07/02/2023 | $62,337 |
| State of Oregon | Forensic Scientist 1 (Forensic Scientist Entry Underfill Option)-Field Investigation and Latent PR | Springfield, OR | 06/30/2023 | $80,136 |
| State of Michigan | Forensic Scientist 9-P11-FSB/FSD/Lansing Laboratory-North/Toxicology Unit | Lansing, MI | 06/30/2023 | $47,195 |
| Colorado State | CBI Forensic Scientist (Biological Sciences) | Denver, CO | 06/11/2023 | $89,232 |
| Indy gov | Forensic Scientist-Drug Chemistry | Indianapolis, IN | 06/09/2023 | $63,048 |
| Indy gov | Forensic Scientist-Drug Chemistry | Indianapolis, IN | 06/09/2023 | $63,048 |
| State of Minnesota | Forensic Scientist 1 | Saint Paul, MN | 06/07/2023 | $56,396 |
| State of Arkansas | Forensic Scientist | Little Rock, AR | 06/07/2023 | $45,010 |
| State of Washington | Forensic Scientist 3 (In-Training) Materials Analysis | Olympia, WA | 06/07/2023 | $54,492 |
| State of Arkansas | Forensic Scientist | Little Rock, AR | 06/07/2023 | $45,010 |
Show more
Forensic Scientist salary FAQs
What state pays Forensic Scientists the most?
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See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.Search for forensic scientist jobs
Forensic Scientist Related Salaries
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- Associate Scientist Salary
- Chemist Salary
- Crime Specialist Salary
- Laboratory Analyst Salary
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Updated June 25, 2024
