Forensic Science Technicians

Also Called:

Crime Scene Technician (Crime Scene Tech),

Criminalist,

CSI (Crime Scene Investigator),

Forensic Scientist

What they do: 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.

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Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security

Career Cluster

What do they typically do on the job?

  • Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity.
  • Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques.
  • Use photographic or video equipment to document evidence or crime scenes.

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

Integrity

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Adaptability/Flexibility

Cooperation

Self Control

Interests

Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.

Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz

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Investigative

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Conventional

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Realistic

Knowledge

People who want to pursue this career have knowledge in these areas.

Safety and Government

  • Law and government

  • Public safety and security

Education and Training

  • Teaching and course design

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Engineering and Technology

  • Computers and electronics

Abilities

Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.

Verbal

  • Communicate by speaking

  • Communicate by writing

Ideas and Logic

  • Make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information

  • Notice when problems happen

Visual Understanding

  • See hidden patterns

  • Quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things

Skills

People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.

Basic Skills

  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

  • Reading work related information

Problem Solving

  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one

  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Work Values

Work values describe how your core beliefs align with those commonly needed for this career.

Support

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Recognition

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Does this sound like something you'd like to do?

1. Do some research
  • Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
  • Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
  • Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career
2. Plan your next move

Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop