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Forensic Audio Jobs in Seattle, WA (NOW HIRING)

Forensic Audio information

See Seattle, WA salary details

$29K

$69.6K

$107.5K

How much do forensic audio jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for forensic audio in Seattle, WA is $69,596.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $61,500.00 and $78,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by forensic audio analysts when working with degraded or low-quality recordings?

Forensic audio analysts often encounter challenges such as background noise, overlapping voices, or poor recording quality, which can make it difficult to isolate and clarify key sounds or speech. They use specialized software and techniques to enhance audio, but there are limits to how much a recording can be improved without introducing artifacts or altering the original content. Effective communication with legal teams about what is possible and the limitations of audio evidence is essential for success in this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a forensic audio analyst, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Forensic Audio Analyst, you need a strong background in audio engineering, acoustics, and digital signal processing, often supported by a relevant degree in audio technology or forensic science. Familiarity with specialized audio analysis tools such as Adobe Audition, iZotope RX, and forensic software like Cedar or Amped FIVE is typically required, along with relevant certifications. Keen attention to detail, critical thinking, and effective communication are important soft skills for analyzing complex audio evidence and presenting findings. These skills ensure accurate, reliable analysis and clear expert testimony, which are crucial for supporting legal investigations and proceedings.

What is forensic audio analysis?

Forensic audio analysis is the scientific examination, evaluation, and interpretation of audio recordings to aid investigations or legal proceedings. Specialists in this field use advanced techniques to enhance audio quality, authenticate recordings, identify speakers, and clarify speech or sounds. Their work is crucial in criminal cases, civil disputes, and other legal matters where audio evidence is presented. Forensic audio experts often testify in court to explain their findings and methodologies.

What are forensic audio jobs?

The leading roles in forensic audio include forensic expert and analyst. As an analyst, you utilize the scientific process during an investigation to help make recordings usable in a court case. Your duties are to analyze audio evidence for authenticity, often refuting or pinpointing a crime. As an expert in the field, your responsibilities are to work with analysts to improve the intelligibility of audio speech and the audibility of quiet sounds. You might transcribe audio, identify the devices used to make the recording, or make an analysis of sonic evidence to reconstruct a crime. In both roles, you examine audio in criminal justice trials and work with law enforcement to define or uncover evidence.

What is the difference between Forensic Audio vs Forensic Audio Technician?

AspectForensic AudioForensic Audio Technician
CredentialsOften requires specialized training in audio analysis and certifications like IAI or ASQ certificationsTypically holds audio engineering or forensic audio certifications, with some overlap
Work EnvironmentPrimarily in labs, courtrooms, or crime scenes involving audio evidenceIn labs or field settings, handling audio recordings and equipment
Industry UsageUsed by law enforcement, legal professionals, and forensic labsEmployed by forensic labs, law enforcement, and audio forensic firms

Forensic Audio focuses on analyzing and interpreting audio evidence for legal cases, often requiring advanced certifications. Forensic Audio Technicians handle the technical aspects of audio evidence collection and processing. While their roles overlap, Forensic Audio specialists typically have more advanced analytical training, whereas technicians focus on equipment and recording tasks.

What are popular job titles related to Forensic Audio jobs in Seattle, WA?

For Forensic Audio jobs in Seattle, WA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Forensic Audio job openings in Seattle, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 80% Full Time, and 20% Part Time. Highlights an 88% In-person, and 12% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $69,596 per year, or $33.5 per hour.

$56K - $81K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 13 days ago


Job description

Summary
For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/.
As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
This position is also being announced to All U.S. Citizens and Nationals under 26-WAW-13025776-DE.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
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If selected, you will serve as the Grand Jury Coordinator and Legal Assistant in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the Western District of Washington. You will be responsible for directly and independently supporting Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) by providing a wide variety of technical assistance services related to complex grand jury actions and matters. Typical work assignments will include:
  • Independently researching and following the laws and specialized rules regarding grand jury proceedings and impanelment, reviewing cases to determine factual issues that may impact grand jury activities, protecting grand jury records and keeping files secure from public disclosure, making substantive processing determinations or initiating other actions based on an analysis of the situation or circumstances of the proceedings, and acting as authoritative liaison with other agencies regarding grand jury matters;
  • Performing extensive searches of records, reference and/or historical material and independently researching, evaluating, and coordinating information to establish the facts and issues of specific litigation cases;
  • Transcribing, preparing and distributing both complex confidential legal correspondence, reports and other documents; assisting in editing and compiling data for grand jury reports and supervising the secure reproduction and distribution of reports;
  • Examining, preparing and processing technical legal correspondence and documents which are characteristically voluminous and complex in format;
  • Preparing and organizing evidence for production as discovery and for use in trial;
  • Managing paper and electronic documents and evidence such as PDF files, image files, audio files, video files, bank records, forensic reports, and other file types; and
  • Administrative duties, such as receiving visitors and phone calls; processing incoming/outgoing mail and packages, monitoring supplies, and other facilities support functions.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
  • You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
  • If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
  • Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
  • You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

Qualifications
GS-7: To be eligible at the GS-7 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience providing trial support to attorneys by preparing complaints, motions, subpoenas, orders, or other hearing and/or trial documents accurately and in proper format; verifying citations and statutory references contained in legal documents; assisting with discovery, hearing or trial preparation by performing duties such as compiling trial notebooks, assembling jury instructions, and compiling witness and exhibit lists; and using software applications and legal and non-legal databases to produce legal related reports and documents, conduct factual research, develop tables of contents and indices to briefs, and prepare courtroom presentations.
GS-8: To be qualified at the GS-8 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing the following types of duties: preparing and processing a variety of technical legal correspondence and documents which are characteristically voluminous and complex in format (e.g. pleadings, stipulations, motions, briefs, affidavits, complaints, orders, answers, subpoenas, and other legal documents); obtaining information from files, law enforcement agencies, or other sources; conducting factual and legal research in legal and non-legal databases and providing requested information to attorneys; aiding in the preparation and organization of evidence for production as discovery and for use in trial; managing paper and electronic discovery and evidence; independently compiling trial notebooks, assembling jury instructions, and compiling witness and exhibit lists; and coding and indexing discovery documents using legal case management software.
To be qualified, you must type at least 40 words per minute based on a 5-minute sample with three or fewer errors (a typing test may later be required).
This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GS-8. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and funding availability. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) -VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement.
Special Employment Consideration - Persons with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals who are potentially eligible for non-competitive appointments. For further information, click on the links provided below . You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.
Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities Links:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Types-of-Appointments
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
Recruitment incentives may be authorized if this position is determined to be difficult to fill, if supported by the skills of the selected candidate, and subject to the availability of funds.
A relocation incentive may be considered as appropriate based on qualifications.
Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.
The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.
Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.
Political Appointees (Current or Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.