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How to Become a Forensic Scientist: Degree, Steps & Salary (2026)
Key takeaway: Becoming a forensic scientist requires a bachelor's degree in a natural science or forensic science — this is a laboratory profession with real coursework prerequisites, not a role you enter with general studies — followed by a hiring process with a thorough background investigation, then months of in-house training and documented competency testing before you are authorized to work casework independently. Forensic science technicians earn a national median annual wage of $72,060 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median).
There is no state license for forensic scientists the way there is for nurses, engineers, or police officers. What gates this profession instead is a combination of three things: specific undergraduate coursework, a crime laboratory’s internal training and competency program, and the accreditation standards the lab itself must meet. Understanding that structure is the difference between preparing correctly and discovering after graduation that your transcript disqualifies you from the discipline you want.
It also matters that “forensic scientist” is an umbrella. Forensic biology and DNA analysis, forensic chemistry and controlled substances, toxicology, trace evidence, firearms and toolmarks, latent prints, and digital forensics are separate disciplines with different educational prerequisites and different training pipelines. Crime scene investigation, often confused with lab work, is a distinct field role frequently staffed by sworn officers or civilian technicians with different requirements.
Step-by-step: how to become a forensic scientist
Earn a bachelor’s degree in a natural science or forensic science. This is a firm requirement at essentially every accredited crime laboratory. Chemistry, biology, biochemistry, and forensic science are the standard majors. If you choose a forensic science program, look for accreditation by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC), which sets curriculum standards specifically for the field. A general criminal justice degree does not qualify you for laboratory analyst positions.
Complete the coursework your target discipline requires. This step trips up more applicants than any other. Forensic DNA analyst positions in laboratories subject to the FBI Quality Assurance Standards require documented, transcript-verifiable coursework covering biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and statistics or population genetics. Controlled substance and toxicology positions expect a strong analytical and organic chemistry sequence. Read the job announcements for the discipline you want before you finalize your course plan, because these requirements are checked line by line against your transcript.
Gain laboratory experience. Internships in an operating crime laboratory, undergraduate research, or work as a laboratory technician all build the bench skills and documentation habits that hiring panels look for. Competitive applicants generally have hands-on instrument experience — chromatography, mass spectrometry, and capillary electrophoresis depending on the discipline — rather than coursework alone.
Pass the hiring and background process. Crime laboratories are usually housed within law enforcement agencies, so the screening resembles law enforcement hiring: a criminal history check, employment and reference verification, drug screening, and in many agencies a polygraph examination. Because analysts testify in court, anything that could be used to impeach credibility is examined closely.
Complete the laboratory’s in-house training program. This is the real apprenticeship. New analysts work through a structured training manual for their discipline covering methods, instrumentation, quality assurance, evidence handling, and report writing, under the supervision of a qualified analyst. Depending on the discipline this commonly runs from about six months to two years, and DNA and firearms disciplines are typically at the longer end.
Pass competency testing and a moot court. Before you may work independent casework, you must complete documented competency tests demonstrating you can perform each method correctly, and most laboratories require a mock or moot court exercise where your testimony is evaluated. Accredited laboratories operate under ISO/IEC 17025 with forensic-specific requirements, and those accreditation standards are what obligate the lab to document your competency.
Maintain proficiency and pursue certification. Analysts complete regular proficiency tests for as long as they work casework. Professional certification is voluntary in the United States, not a license: the American Board of Criminalistics and the International Association for Identification offer discipline-specific certifications that require a qualifying degree, documented experience, and an examination. Some laboratories require certification for promotion even though no state requires it to practice.
What degree do you need to be a forensic scientist?
A bachelor’s degree in a natural science or a forensic science program is the working requirement, and the specific coursework inside it matters as much as the major.
- An online bachelor’s in forensic science is the direct path; verify that the program includes the full laboratory science sequence and, ideally, FEPAC accreditation, since some online programs are administered as criminal justice degrees with a forensic label.
- A chemistry or biology bachelor’s is equally accepted and, for DNA and toxicology positions, is often the safer choice because it guarantees the prerequisite coursework.
- An online master’s in forensic science deepens specialization, is common among analysts moving into technical leadership or quality assurance, and is expected in some disciplines such as forensic toxicology at senior levels.
If you are weighing this against related fields, What Can You Do With a Forensic Science Degree? maps the roles the degree opens, and Is a Forensic Science Degree Worth It? covers the tradeoffs.
How much do forensic scientists make?
Forensic science technicians earn a national median annual wage of $72,060 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median). Half of workers in the occupation earn more and half earn less. The occupation spans both laboratory analysts and crime scene technicians, and pay differs by discipline, by whether the employer is a state, county, or federal laboratory, and by whether the position is civilian or sworn.
View the data behind this chart
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,250 |
| 25th percentile | $57,830 |
| Median | $72,060 |
| 75th percentile | $94,520 |
| 90th percentile | $117,250 |
View the data behind this chart
| State | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Illinois | $124,790 |
| California | $102,100 |
| Connecticut | $85,910 |
| Colorado | $84,010 |
| Montana | $82,200 |
| Maryland | $82,140 |
| New York | $81,670 |
| Washington | $81,310 |
For context on a related investigative role, detectives and criminal investigators earn a national median annual wage of $93,790 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median) — a useful comparison because crime scene work in some agencies is performed by sworn investigators rather than civilian technicians.
How long does it take to become a forensic scientist?
Plan on roughly five to six and a half years from starting college to working casework independently.
| Phase | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree in a natural or forensic science | About 4 years |
| Internship or laboratory experience | 3 to 12 months, often concurrent with the degree |
| Application, background investigation, and polygraph | 3 to 9 months |
| In-house training in your discipline | 6 months to 2 years, longest in DNA and firearms |
| Competency testing and moot court | Included at the end of in-house training |
| Optional master’s degree | 1 to 2 years |
These are ranges rather than promises. Crime laboratory hiring is tied to budgeted positions and can be infrequent, and the in-house training clock does not start until you are hired.
Frequently asked questions
What degree do you need to be a forensic scientist?
A bachelor’s degree in a natural science — chemistry, biology, or biochemistry — or in forensic science. The specific coursework inside the degree matters as much as the title: DNA analyst positions in laboratories following the FBI Quality Assurance Standards require documented coursework in biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and statistics, and chemistry-based disciplines expect a full analytical and organic chemistry sequence.
How long does it take to become a forensic scientist?
Roughly five to six and a half years from the start of college to independent casework: about four years for the bachelor’s degree, three to nine months for hiring and background investigation, and six months to two years of in-house training and competency testing at the laboratory before you are signed off to work cases alone.
Do you need a degree to be a forensic scientist?
Yes. Unlike several other criminal justice careers, this one has a genuine educational floor: crime laboratories require a natural science or forensic science bachelor’s degree, and accreditation standards obligate them to document that analysts meet education requirements. Evidence technician and property room roles inside the same agencies sometimes have lower requirements, but they are not analyst positions.
How much do forensic scientists make?
Forensic science technicians earn a national median annual wage of $72,060 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median). Pay varies by discipline and by whether the employer is a state, county, or federal laboratory.
Do forensic scientists need to be licensed or certified?
There is no general state license for forensic scientists in the United States. Professional certification through bodies such as the American Board of Criminalistics or the International Association for Identification is voluntary and discipline-specific, requiring a qualifying degree, documented experience, and an examination. Some laboratories require certification for promotion even though it is not required to practice.
Is a forensic scientist the same as a crime scene investigator?
Not usually. Forensic scientists analyze evidence in an accredited laboratory and hold a natural science degree. Crime scene investigators document and collect evidence in the field, and in many agencies that role is filled by sworn officers or by civilian technicians whose education requirements are lower. Some smaller agencies combine the two, but the career paths and prerequisites are generally distinct.
Related guides
- Online Forensic Science Degrees Guide — the full hub covering degree levels and program formats
- Online Bachelor’s in Forensic Science — the entry credential, with notes on what to verify in a program
- What Can You Do With a Forensic Science Degree? — the full range of laboratory and field roles
- How to Become a Crime Analyst — a civilian analytical role with a very different educational path
- How to Become a Detective — the sworn investigative counterpart to laboratory work
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025 national medians). Education prerequisites, training programs, and competency requirements are set by individual crime laboratories and their accrediting bodies; confirm requirements with the laboratory or agency you intend to apply to.
Data verified: August 12, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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