Discover Exciting Careers In Forensic Science
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Want to be a crime scene investigator? How about a career as fingerprint or DNA specialist? These are just some of the careers in forensic science you can explore if you have an interest both in science and criminal justice and want to meld the two field together.
Television, movies and technological advances have raised awareness for this profession, which augurs well for the industry because of the rising demand for skilled professionals.
Yes, forensic scientists usually end up in crime labs, whether at the state or local police departments. But you don't necessarily have to be confined indoors as there are other opportunities if you decide to pursue this career.
General areas of practice
Forensic science is such a broad field. It largely refers to the application of scientific principles and methods to legal matters and is not confined to dealing with death and human bodies. There are specific training programs for the forensic science specialization you want to focus on.
But generally, most careers in forensic science have to do with criminal justice and solving cases that involve death and human remains.
The most common employers of forensic scientists are state and local governments for their investigation bureaus and law enforcement agencies, public or private crime laboratories and police departments.
The six general areas of practice in forensic science that you can consider for a career are:
- Medical Examiner
- Crime laboratory analyst
- Crime scene investigator
- Forensic Engineer
- Academic Assistant
- Technical assistant
Academic assistance, especially in the area of psychology (profilers, social science, statistics), does not necessarily require a full time position. Rather, forensic scientists who are part of the academe may be called upon for consultation or to serve as resource persons or expert witness in court.
Technical assistants render service as computer analysts, polygraph technicians or artists trained in composite drawings. While these are forensic science careers, they do not require the kind of intensive science-based foundation training as the other positions for forensic scientist.
Forensic science technician
It's known by many titles – crime scene technician, forensic science investigator, forensic science examiner or forensic science technician – but it's usually one and the same job. You are usually the guy called to crime scenes, whether it is a murder, accident or arson. The job requires collecting and preserving physical evidence that will be examined at the crime lab to help determine the cause and catch the perpetrators. It's the best way to be exposed to this field and while the process may be routine varying situations break the monotony of each case.
If you are able to get an undergraduate degree in forensic science or forensic pathology, this what you'll likely end up doing. The job has fixed hours but can also be demanding, especially if you are working on a big, sensitive or difficult case.
If working in small organizations, the forensic science technician job may also include performing as a crime lab analyst. These means taking the evidence collected at the crime scene and examining them for clues, using scientific methods that will lead to the resolution of the crime.
The average forensic science technician salary range is between $29,000 and $49,000 annually. Most careers in forensic science often start at this level and progress to other better-paying positions with additional studies and training.
Forensic engineer
The forensic science job description also applies to the forensic engineer, except that his other qualification is having a degree in engineering. He deals with traffic accidents, fire investigations and a host of other wrongful injury cases. But unlike the crime scene technicians that mostly deal with dead bodies, they are called in to determine what caused the accident or failure that resulted to injury. It's a less stressful job but a better paying one. The average pay for a forensic engineer is $104,000.
You must have a specialization either in electrical, mechanical, civil, materials or traffic engineering.
Medical examiner
Long years of education and training is necessary to become a medical examiner. This usually requires a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy degree, aside from residency and a fellowship in forensic pathology.
As medical examiner, you handle autopsies or move on to supervisory positions if the organization you work for allows such movement or advancement in careers.
You'll be cutting up bodies and helping tell the story of what led to the death of a victim, hopefully with the end in view of catching the killer. You will be often called to testify in court to present your findings as evidence.
Your investment in both time and resources will be worth it since the medical examiner salary is very competitive. With less than four years of experience, you will make between $31,000 to $44,000 in wages. But eventually, over time and with a lot of experience, medical examiners, especially at the chief level, make up to $200,000 annually.
Undoubtedly, if you have the stomach for it, the opportunities are interesting and exciting. Now, all you have to do is decide which among the careers in forensic science you'll want to pursue.
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