Key Factors That Influence Forensics Examiner Salaries
A Forensics Examiner's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Forensics Examiner Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Forensics Examiner's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $106,605
San Francisco: $105,438
Oakland: $103,216
San Jose, CA$106,605
San Francisco, CA$105,438
Oakland, CA$103,216
New York, NY$97,316
Paramus, NJ$96,133
Queens Village, NY$96,128
Passaic, NJ$96,048
Bergenfield, NJ$96,040
Stamford, CT$95,854
Huntington, NY$95,820
Newark, NJ$95,195
Bridgeport, CT$95,017
Vallejo, CA$94,849
New Brunswick, NJ$94,815
Petaluma, CA$94,764
Middlesex, NJ$94,604
Somerset, NJ$94,544
Santa Cruz, CA$94,435
Boston, MA$93,919
Monterey, CA$93,622
Seattle, WA$93,429
Santa Rosa, CA$93,412
Los Angeles, CA$93,386
Juneau, AK$93,167
Washington, DC$93,074
Orange, CA$92,773
Santa Ana, CA$92,550
Long Beach, CA$92,465
Anaheim, CA$92,448
Anchorage, AK$92,406
Santa Maria, CA$92,152
Everett, WA$92,136
Danbury, CT$91,838
Bremerton, WA$91,721
Tacoma, WA$91,417
New Suffolk, NY$91,415
Sacramento, CA$91,392
Santa Barbara, CA$91,299
Trenton, NJ$91,206
San Diego, CA$91,206
Brockton, MA$91,113
Fairbanks, AK$90,906
Lompoc, CA$90,690
Lowell, MA$90,622
Ventura, CA$90,606
Nashua, NH$90,589
Stockton, CA$90,580
Modesto, CA$89,963
Poughkeepsie, NY$89,777
Olympia, WA$89,617
Kennewick, WA$89,617
New Haven, CT$89,583
Lawrence, MA$89,279
Hartford, CT$89,194
Riverside, CA$89,177
New Bedford, MA$89,093
Richland, WA$89,093
Bakersfield, CA$88,975
San Bernardino, CA$88,941
New Britain, CT$88,932
Atlantic City, NJ$88,932
New London, CT$88,898
Norwich, CT$88,873
Portsmouth, NH$88,856
Boulder, CO$88,677
Portland, OR$88,560
Worcester, MA$88,552
Minneapolis, MN$88,290
Philadelphia, PA$88,172
Honolulu, HI$87,893
Saint Paul, MN$87,852
Vineland, NJ$87,833
Providence, RI$87,588
Chicago, IL$87,343
Bellingham, WA$87,242
Springfield, MA$87,174
Baltimore, MD$87,149
Chico, CA$86,938
Pittsfield, MA$86,709
Manchester, NH$86,549
Spokane, WA$86,177
Denver, CO$86,168
Albany, NY$85,771
Troy, NY$85,737
Nassau, NY$85,647
Schenectady, NY$85,560
Wilmington, DE$85,492
Burlington, VT$85,374
Salem, OR$85,340
Portland, ME$85,078
Yakima, WA$84,994
Rochester, MN$84,732
Reno, NV$84,689
Fresno, CA$84,689
Milwaukee, WI$84,613
Detroit, MI$84,529
Ann Arbor, MI$84,514
Allentown, PA$84,503
Colorado Springs, CO$84,360
Syracuse, NY$84,317
Carson City, NV$84,317
Houston, TX$84,199
Eugene, OR$84,157
Gary, IN$84,055
Springfield, OR$83,988
Bismarck, ND$83,971
Galveston, TX$83,912
Medford, OR$83,785
Fort Collins, CO$83,751
Concord, NH$83,709
Austin, TX$83,684
Mesa, AZ$83,506
Reading, PA$83,498
Phoenix, AZ$83,489
Dallas, TX$83,464
Saint Cloud, MN$83,383
Madison, WI$83,269
Utica, NY$83,041
Rochester, NY$82,906
Des Moines, IA$82,898
Raleigh, NC$82,889
Atlanta, GA$82,762
Battle Creek, MI$82,737
Salt Lake City, UT$82,712
Lancaster, PA$82,585
Harrisburg, PA$82,466
Kansas City, MO$82,382
Champaign, IL$82,365
Kansas City, KS$82,365
Fort Worth, TX$82,357
Columbus, OH$82,342
Boca Raton, FL$82,323
Pittsburgh, PA$82,289
Richmond, VA$82,255
Indianapolis, IN$82,238
Cleveland, OH$82,230
Las Vegas, NV$82,128
Cincinnati, OH$82,128
Petersburg, VA$82,002
Huntsville, AL$81,875
Lansing, MI$81,818
Lebanon, PA$81,807
Pueblo, CO$81,799
Appleton, WI$81,773
Buffalo, NY$81,740
Dayton, OH$81,714
Racine, WI$81,697
Charlotte, NC$81,689
Saint Louis, MO$81,664
York, PA$81,613
Elkhart, IN$81,613
Gastonia, NC$81,597
Billings, MT$81,576
Beaumont, TX$81,554
Lorain, OH$81,537
Benton Harbor, MI$81,520
Toledo, OH$81,503
Binghamton, NY$81,461
Rock Hill, SC$81,452
Rockford, IL$81,410
Springfield, IL$81,376
Elyria, OH$81,368
Fargo, ND$81,368
Flagstaff, AZ$81,309
Fort Lauderdale, FL$81,258
Duluth, MN$81,207
Miami, FL$81,207
Cheyenne, WY$81,148
Grand Forks, ND$81,148
Bangor, ME$80,962
Cedar Rapids, IA$80,869
Durham, NC$80,834
Louisville, KY$80,827
Grand Rapids, MI$80,810
Hialeah, FL$80,801
Casper, WY$80,683
Scranton, PA$80,582
New Orleans, LA$80,556
Virginia Beach, VA$80,548
Akron, OH$80,506
Peoria, IL$80,396
Sarasota, FL$80,379
Nashville, TN$80,320
Omaha, NE$80,320
Green Bay, WI$80,320
Baton Rouge, LA$80,277
Charleston, SC$80,260
Jamestown, NY$80,218
Davenport, IA$80,218
Tucson, AZ$80,176
Saint Petersburg, FL$80,125
Tampa, FL$80,108
Evansville, IN$80,058
Port Arthur, TX$80,058
Bradenton, FL$80,024
Santa Fe, NM$79,872
Orlando, FL$79,720
Clearwater, FL$79,694
Canton, OH$79,517
La Crosse, WI$79,517
Albuquerque, NM$79,466
Newport News, VA$79,458
High Point, NC$79,432
Ogden, UT$79,398
Corpus Christi, TX$79,331
Norfolk, VA$79,280
Laramie, WY$79,280
Rock Island, IL$79,229
Saginaw, MI$79,212
Jacksonville, FL$79,204
Salisbury, NC$79,187
Boise, ID$79,170
Moline, IL$79,128
Fort Myers, FL$79,103
Memphis, TN$79,086
Tulsa, OK$79,043
Waterloo, IA$78,993
Spartanburg, SC$78,908
Lincoln, NE$78,866
Fort Wayne, IN$78,849
Provo, UT$78,841
Cedar Falls, IA$78,739
San Antonio, TX$78,705
Greensboro, NC$78,671
South Bend, IN$78,663
Savannah, GA$78,570
Muskegon, MI$78,536
Birmingham, AL$78,528
Winston Salem, NC$78,486
Lake Charles, LA$78,283
Anderson, IN$78,266
Lexington, KY$78,240
Augusta, GA$78,215
Greenville, SC$78,215
Lima, OH$78,147
Wichita, KS$78,139
Tuscaloosa, AL$78,139
Columbia, SC$78,063
Springfield, OH$78,046
Asheville, NC$77,911
Bloomington, IN$77,852
Knoxville, TN$77,547
Shreveport, LA$77,539
Wilmington, NC$77,429
Roanoke, VA$77,429
Topeka, KS$77,277
Frankfort, KY$77,268
Oklahoma City, OK$77,209
Chillicothe, OH$77,175
Longview, TX$77,167
Melbourne, FL$77,159
Sioux Falls, SD$77,023
Mobile, AL$77,015
Terre Haute, IN$76,981
Altoona, PA$76,930
Amarillo, TX$76,871
Killeen, TX$76,846
Fayetteville, AR$76,778
Chattanooga, TN$76,753
Sioux City, IA$76,677
Idaho Falls, ID$76,660
Lynchburg, VA$76,592
Gainesville, FL$76,482
Portsmouth, OH$76,440
Little Rock, AR$76,423
Lafayette, LA$76,389
Youngstown, OH$76,389
Daytona Beach, FL$76,339
Clarksville, TN$76,330
Pensacola, FL$76,322
Temple, TX$76,316
Hopkinsville, KY$76,068
Erie, PA$76,051
Florence, SC$76,018
Charleston, WV$75,882
Great Falls, MT$75,840
Macon, GA$75,722
Tallahassee, FL$75,713
Fayetteville, NC$75,696
Waco, TX$75,679
Helena, MT$75,620
Pine Bluff, AR$75,588
Vincennes, IN$75,485
Lubbock, TX$75,451
Alamogordo, NM$75,401
Twin Falls, ID$75,324
Rapid City, SD$75,299
Jackson, MS$75,147
Huntington, WV$75,141
Greenville, MS$75,139
Parkersburg, WV$75,052
Montgomery, AL$75,037
Wichita Falls, TX$74,953
Springfield, MO$74,953
Biloxi, MS$74,910
Monroe, LA$74,826
Johnstown, PA$74,767
Sumter, SC$74,733
Columbus, GA$74,724
Pascagoula, MS$74,564
Abilene, TX$74,564
Kingsport, TN$74,344
Albany, GA$74,344
Gulfport, MS$74,319
Alexandria, LA$74,040
Fort Smith, AR$73,828
El Paso, TX$73,600
Las Cruces, NM$73,220
Harlingen, TX$73,005
Pocatello, ID$72,992
Florence, AL$72,882
Brownsville, TX$72,865
Mcallen, TX$72,687
Dothan, AL$72,569
Columbus, MS$72,067
Altus, OK$71,673
Lawton, OK$71,513
Pierre, SD$71,208
What Skills Can Increase a Forensics Examiner's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 6.11% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Building Codes (Mentioned in 2.8% Job Postings): A building code (also building control or building regulations) is a set of rules that specify the standards for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtain planning permission, usually from a local council. The main purpose of building codes is to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures. The building code becomes law of a particular jurisdiction when formally enacted by the appropriate governmental or private authority. Building codes are generally intended to be applied by architects, engineers, interior designers, constructors and regulators but are also used for various purposes by safety inspectors, environmental scientists, real estate developers, subcontractors, manufacturers of building products and materials, insurance companies, facility managers, tenants, and others. Codes regulate the design and construction of structures where adopted into law.
Digital Video (Mentioned in 1.47% Job Postings): Digital video is an electronic representation of moving visual images in the form of encoded digital data. This is in contrast to analog video, which represents moving visual images in the form of analog signals.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Forensics Examiner's salary.
Forensics: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Forensics Examiner Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Forensics Examiner roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 70% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Biotechnology and Insurance
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 45% above the average.
In contrast, Forensics Examiner positions in Software & Networking or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Forensics Examiner as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Forensics Examiner
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology
$107,723
$52.0
45%
Insurance
$96,579
$46.0
30%
Energy & Utilities
$89,150
$43.0
20%
Aerospace & Defense
$83,207
$40.0
12%
Financial Services
$81,721
$39.0
10%
Forensics Examiner Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Forensics Examiner's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources.
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