Occupation Profile

Forensic Science Technicians

(SOC Code : 19-4092)

in California

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.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with a Associate degree .

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$33.55	$25.46	$32.22	$40.17

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	1,700	2,000	300	17.6	100

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Forensic Science and Technology.

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About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this 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 chemicals or other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases.

Testify in court about investigative or analytical methods or findings.

Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations.

Take photographs of evidence.

Collect impressions of dust from surfaces to obtain and identify fingerprints.

Reconstruct crime scenes to determine relationships among pieces of evidence.

Operate and maintain laboratory equipment and apparatus.

Train new technicians or other personnel on forensic science techniques.

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Top Skills used in this Job

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

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.

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.

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