8 of the Most Popular Types of Crime Lab Assistant Jobs in 2026

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Top Types Of Crime Lab Assistant Jobs

• Crime Laboratory Analyst

  Salary range: $48,500 - $51,000

  The job duties of a crime laboratory analyst involve working in a crime lab to assist in criminal investigations. In this career, your duties and responsibilities focus on receiving, handling, and studying evidence from a crime scene. You examine, test, and analyze samples collected by investigators and prepare a report based on your findings. A crime lab analyst can specialize in a specific area of forensic science, such as fingerprint analysis, ballistics testing, blood-spatter analysis, or DNA identification and matching. A crime lab analyst documents their work so that lawyers can use their findings in court.

• Forensic Science

  Salary range: $43,500 - $55,500

  Forensic Science is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Forensic Science jobs pay between $43,500 (25th percentile) and $55,500 (75th percentile) annually. Take a look at the variety of open positions nationwide for Forensic Science job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Forensic Chemist

  Salary range: $59,000 - $78,500

  A forensic chemist usually assists medical examiners with post-mortem toxicology and evidence, but forensic roles can extend beyond investigations into causes of death. Responsibilities include processing information and chemicals, analyzing toxicology reports, performing chemical tests on specimens, and working with a team of experts to draw conclusions based on the data. Duties can also consist of managing computer programs and processes, working with chemicals and lab tools, following laboratory safety regulations, and applying forensic science to solve mysteries. Forensic science uses science, chemistry, and minute details to draw conclusions and decipher clues.

• Entry Level Crime Scene Investigator

  Salary range: $48,500 - $67,500

  An entry-level crime scene investigator (CSI) identifies and collects evidence at a crime scene. In this role, your job is to document everything in the area of suspected criminal activity by taking pictures, recording measurements, and gathering information that may not be captured by images, such as weather conditions. As an entry-level employee, you undergo on-the-job training and work under the supervision of senior crime scene staff members and investigators. You may shadow veteran investigators for a while, observing how they extract and process evidence at the crime scene and back at the office; it is crucial to preserve evidence properly to ensure it does not become tainted.

• Crime Scene Investigator

  Salary range: $48,500 - $67,500

  Crime scene investigators (CSI) work closely with law enforcement officials to collect and examine evidence at crime scenes. Evidence includes DNA samples (hair, bodily fluids, blood stain patterns), impressions (footprints, fingerprints, tire marks, bite marks), trace evidence (clothing fibers, accelerant, paint, glass), and weapons (guns, bullet casings, gun. powder patterns). Crime scene investigators ensure the evidence is handled and processed according to strict standards to not compromise it in any way. Some crime scene investigators specialize in digital investigations and collect evidence analyzing data in cases of fraud or scams.

• Forensic Pathologist Assistant

  Salary range: $90,500 - $140,000

  A forensic pathologist assistant assists during autopsies and criminal investigations by collecting specimens for analysis in a laboratory. In this career, you often collect and photograph evidence on-site. Your duties also involve careful and thorough documentation to preserve the chain of evidence. You may work in the field, a morgue, or a laboratory setting. You are typically part of a team led by a medical examiner or coroner. Most forensic pathologist assistants find employment with local or state governments.

• Forensic Lab Technician

  Salary range: $40,000 - $58,000

  Forensic Lab Technician is a common job search query. Most salaries for Forensic Lab Technician jobs pay between $40,000 (25th percentile) and $58,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Forensic Lab Technician job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Forensic Laboratory

  Salary range: $47,500 - $72,000

  Forensic Laboratory is a common job search query. Most salaries for Forensic Laboratory jobs pay between $47,500 (25th percentile) and $72,000 (75th percentile) annually. You’ll find many open positions nationwide for Forensic Laboratory job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.