Entry-level salaries
for forensic scientists vary with education, location and employers.
As a first-year forensic scientist, you may study crime scenes under the supervision of a senior scientist and collect evidence that you scientifically analyze to find the truth of what happened. Your mission aims to provide prosecutors solid and logical evidence that points to the assailant, the rapist or the white-collar criminal. Attorneys may ask your supervisor to provide his expert opinion in court and the information that you gathered may be presented. Although your starting salary may be modest, be assured that this profession pays well.
Significance
This professional field requires emotional strength to deal with situations that may be disturbing. Your job consists of studying blood splatter, fluid residues, fingerprints on guns or other items and sometimes potentially forged signatures. The integrity of your analysis and rigor of your thinking can make or break a court judgment. This industry pays well because the job is challenging.
Entry-Level Salaries
A first-year forensic scientist earns approximately $40,000, according to the 2010 data from Indeed.com. The salary climbs rapidly with experience. Midcareer professionals' income climbs to an average of $92,000 and may exceed $120,000 for management positions with forensic laboratories. Entry-level salaries also vary with your education, your employer and your location.
Education
Your education may influence your first-year income. You may enter the profession with a two-year associate degree in applied science and start a job paying in the midway between $30,000 and $40,000. But employers like to hire individuals with a bachelor's degree in the natural sciences and offer compensations over $40,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Employers
Your first job typically takes place in a local or state government organization and you may be offered anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000. In these first years, you will work under the direction of a more senior scientist and learn the procedures and protocols of the organization. Entry-level positions with companies involved in national security pay the best, typically in the $50,000 neighborhood, according to jobs posted on Indeed.com.
Location
Location matters for your first income. If you can easily move, the metropolitan area of Washington pays very well, according to Indeed.com. With starting incomes around $50,000, the jobs report to the federal government or defense companies that typically will require that you acquire a security clearance. Companies in San Francisco offer entry-level jobs with compensation between $60,000 and $70,000 to digital information analysts who investigate computer crimes.
Tags: Entry-level salaries, evidence that, first-year forensic, first-year forensic scientist, forensic scientist