14 Pros and Cons of Being a Forensic Science Technician

Many crimes would not be solved if there weren’t minute pieces of evidence such as hairs, fibers, or chemical evidence inside and outside the body.

The forensic science technician has the task of finding all this evidence and making sure it stays safe until it can be analyzed.

This is the person who often takes tiny clues and combines them to show the biggest picture.

They also are often asked to appear in court to explain the concepts of DNA and how the various pieces of evidence pertain to the conclusion.

Let’s explore this profession further.

Pros of Being a Forensic Science Technician

1. You Make an Impact

It will be your careful collecting of even the most innocent piece of evidence and analyzing it with a precision that will be the reason many cases are solved.

Your work can bring closure to victims of crimes and their families.

You can bring criminals to justice.

Your job matters, and that makes for good feelings and a source of pride.

2. Challenging

This is not an easy job, but it will meet the needs of many people who have to face and beat a challenge.

Each case is different, each piece of evidence has its own story to tell, and each clue has a piece in the puzzle.

You will need to take the smallest piece of evidence, such as a drop of DNA, and build it into a case that puts those who do wrong in prison.

This is not a job for those who want easy, but it will never be lacking in challenge.

3. Job Security

There will always be a need for a human element in crime scene analysis.

As the world becomes more automated, this is a position that will evolve and even change drastically, but will always require human interaction.

The need for forensic science technicians is present in every area of the world, and you will always be able to find somewhere you are needed.

4. Flexibility

This is a flexible job.

Some forensic science technicians work daily in a lab.

Others may work remotely, and still others may only work on certain cases, depending upon their specialty.

There aren’t many jobs where you may get the chance to see where you want to focus your time and energy.

You might become a specialist in DNA, blood splatter patterns, or firearms.

You might work in a large lab or a small police department lab.

The opportunity to find the perfect combination of environment and activity is there.

5. Potential for High Earnings

The best-paid forensic science technicians can surpass $200,000 a year, and even those just entering the profession can see a yearly salary of $70,000.

Bigger cities pay more, as do organizations such as the CIA, but you can find positions that pay well in many areas of the country.

Having a degree will make it possible for you to earn higher pay, as will getting experience.

Even small, specialized labs can pay higher rates than big city ones.

It just may take more effort to find these positions.

6. Chance to Follow Different Paths

Starting as a forensic science technician may allow you to eventually explore other career paths.

It is not unheard of for those who start here to explore forensic psychology, forensic IT work, or focus on crime scene investigation.

This is just the beginning as you learn to see where your talents and interests lie.

Veering off into a specialty is easy once you have your foot in the door.

7. Sense of Accomplishment

You know that little jump your heart makes when you put that last piece in a puzzle or realize a recipe you are baking turned out perfectly?

You will be able to experience that release of serotonin, the feeling-good chemical, often.

Every time you make a connection, prove an assumption, or put that last piece of evidence in place, you will experience a sense of accomplishment.

Watching a case be solved, a family getting closure, or a criminal getting convicted will all make you realize that what you do matters.

Not many jobs allow for this regular sense of accomplishment.

Cons of Being a Forensic Science Technician

1. Emotional Toll

Having to regularly be in a crime scene exposes a forensic service technician to gory scenes.

The scenes are often very difficult to see, with blood and death evident.

Sometimes the victims are children, making this even more difficult.

To deal, many people in this position learn to cut off their emotions, which include good ones as well as bad ones.

They may also turn to self-medication to help them sleep without the nightmares that have them reliving the scenes they visit.

2. Long Hours

You never know when a crime will be committed.

Add that to the fact that not only does it take hours to make sure a crime scene has yielded every piece of evidence, but it sometimes takes even longer to analyze each of these clues.

This is a job that requires you to keep working even when you are tired, have made prior commitments, or feel hungry.

Solving the crime depends on you doing a thorough job in as little time as possible.

That means doing the work, no matter if it takes two hours or sixteen hours.

3. Exposure to Hazardous Materials

Very often, the forensic science technician is exposed to things they are unaware of.

This could be a disease, chemical hazards, or even biological hazards.

While every precaution is taken when entering a scene or in the lab, this does not completely guarantee safety.

A perfectly innocent piece of material might contain toxic residue.

You may lift a mask only briefly to sneeze and end up breathing in germs.

This is a job that is full of hazards.

4. Stressful

The stress in this career comes from many directions.

There is the knowledge that you need to be nearly perfect when collecting and analyzing evidence.

There is the stress of having to appear in a courtroom.

While you may not be the one on trial, your testimony could make the difference between setting an innocent person free or convicting a guilty person.

Then there is the pressure from the detectives working the case who want a quick resolution to the crime, and they can’t do their job without your results.

5. Potential for Boredom

Some of the work you must do is tedious.

You must often wait for an analysis to finish.

Other times, you may not have any cases to work on.

The paperwork and reports you are required to complete may be boring.

You will need to figure out a way to make the downtime productive and less boring.

Then again, in a stressful job, boring might be welcome at times.

In some instances, boredom can make you complacent, and you may miss something important.

6. Competitive Field

Many people want to enter this field, and the competition can be strong.

Only those with the best credentials, highest education, or most experience may be considered for some of the higher-paying positions.

This is especially true in large city departments.

You will need to get a degree if you ever hope to pursue this career.

Advancement is possible, but it is difficult because there is such a high amount of competition.

This pressure to be the best can also add to the stress level of the job.

7. Unpredictable Work Schedule

You can’t predict when a crime will occur.

You are also not in control of court schedules.

Investigations don’t always go smoothly, meaning they could take much longer than expected.

Test equipment may run slower than you like, and your work may depend on the work of someone else.

You can’t predict their actions.

This isn’t a job you can clock in in the morning and leave in the afternoon.

You may even find yourself working nights, weekends, and holidays.

Pros and Cons of Being a Forensic Science Technician – Summary Table

Should I Become a Forensic Science Technician?

To be happy as a forensic science technician, you must like science.

You must be willing to be on call at a moment’s notice, spend hours exploring the path the clues send you on, and put together the clues.

This is a career that offers a great sense of satisfaction and a release of serotonin with every piece of evidence found.

While the field is competitive, it also pays well.

If you want to be an essential part of the crime scene investigation and don’t mind irregular hours and having to see unpleasant things, then this may be the career for you.

If, on the other hand, you want predictable work and don’t much like science, it would be better to look into another career.