Forensic Science Technicians build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and social perceptiveness skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Police Identification and Records Officers (90%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Police Identification and Records Officers | 90% | $93,790Pay for the broader BLS group “Detectives and Criminal Investigators” | Not compared | None |
| 2 | Coroners | 83% | $80,730Pay for the broader BLS group “Compliance Officers” | Not compared | None |
| 3 | Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 81% | $93,790 | +30% | None |
| 4 | Environmental Compliance Inspectors | 75% | $80,730Pay for the broader BLS group “Compliance Officers” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 5 | Digital Forensics Analysts | 75% | $116,580Pay for the broader BLS group “Computer Occupations, All Other” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 74% | $101,370 | +41% | None |
| 7 | Fish and Game Wardens | 73% | $74,060 | +3% | None |
| 8 | Fire Inspectors and Investigators | 73% | $75,920 | +5% | None |
| 9 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | 72% | $95,480 | +33% | None |
| 10 | Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | 71% | $80,110 | +11% | None |
Compared with Forensic Science Technicians, median $72,060. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as forensic science technicians (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
90% skill match · $93,790 (broader BLS group)
83% skill match · $80,730 (broader BLS group)
Coordination · Management of Material Resources · Social Perceptiveness
81% skill match · $93,790 · +30% pay
Negotiation · Social Perceptiveness · Persuasion
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Police Identification and Records Officers (90% skill match, median $93,790), Coroners (83% skill match, median $80,730) and Detectives and Criminal Investigators (81% skill match, median $93,790), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 17 pay more than forensic science technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors (+60%, $115,160), Power Distributors and Dispatchers (+48%, $106,730) and Nuclear Medicine Technologists (+41%, $101,370).
18 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.