Careers in Forensic Science
Careers in Forensic Science
Below we’ve listed a some of the careers that are possible for forensic scientists, agencies that hire graduates from the field, and professional associations and societies you may want to consider in your research.
Additionally, you should view the National Institute of Justice Report “Qualifications for a Career in Forensic Science” for insights into how you can forge your own path in Forensic Science.
Career Groups
- Arson Investigation
- Behavioral Scientist
- Crime Laboratory Technicians
- Crime Scene Investigators
- Criminal Analysis
- Criminologists
- Digital Forensics
- Evidence Technicians
- Foreign Service Officers
- Forensic Anthropology
- Forensic Artists
- Forensic Chemists
- Forensic DNA Technicians
- Forensic Fiber Examiner
- Forensic Firearms Examiner
- Forensic Photographer
- Forensic Scientists
- Impression Evidence Examiner
- Investigation Specialists
- Latent Print Examiner
- Medicolegal Death Investigators
- Police Officer/Detective
- Private Lab Examiners
- Questioned Document Examiners
- Special Agents
- Trace Evidence Technicians
- Wildlife Inspectors
Career Agencies
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
- Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS)
- Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
- Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Department of Commerce (DOC)
- Department of Energy (DOE)
- Department of Defense (DOD)
- U.S. Army (CID)
- U.S. Navy (NCIS)
- U.S. Air Force (AFOSI)
- U.S. Coast Guard
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Center for Disease Control (CDC)
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- U.S. Secret Service
- Department of Interior (DOI)
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)
- Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
- Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
- U.S. Marshalls Service
- Department of State (DOS)
- Department of Transportation (DOT)
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Federal Railroad Administration
- Maritime Administration
- National Highway Traffic Administration
- Office of Inspector General
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
- Special Agents
- Forensic Lab
- Local Police Departments and Sheriff’s Offices
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
- National Institute of Standards (NIST)
- National Park Service (NPS)
- Archaeologists
- Technicians
- Park Police
- Park Rangers
- National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
- National Security Agency (NSA)
- National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
- Aviation Safety
- Highway Safety
- Marine Safety
- Hazardous Materials
- Railroads
- Transportation Disaster Assistance
- Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
- Postal Inspection Services (USPS)
- Private Laboratories
- State Crime Labs
- State Medical Examiner’s Office
- State Police Departments
- Virginia Department of Forensic Science (DFS)
Professional Associations and Societies
- American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP)
- American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS)
- American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL)
- American Board of Criminalistics (ABC)
- American Board of Forensic Anthropology
- American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO)
- The American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT)
- The American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI)
- American Society of Crime Lab Directors (ASCLD)
- American Society of Questioned Document Examiners (ASQDE)
- Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE)
- Evidence Photographers International Council, Inc. (EPIC)
- Microscopy Society of America (MSA)
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS)
- International Association for Identification (IAI)
- International Crime Scene Investigators Association (ICSIA)
- International Society of Police Surgeons (ISPS)
- The Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT)