Forensic Science Technicians

Description

Collect, identify, classify, and analyze physical evidence related to criminal investigations. Perform tests on weapons or substances, such as fiber, hair, and tissue to determine significance to investigation. May testify as expert witnesses on evidence or crime laboratory techniques. May serve as specialists in area of expertise, such as ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, or biochemistry.

Tasks

Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity.
Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques.
Use chemicals or other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases.
Testify in court about investigative or analytical methods or findings.
Take photographs of evidence.
Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations.
Collect impressions of dust from surfaces to obtain and identify fingerprints.
Reconstruct crime scenes to determine relationships among pieces of evidence.
Operate and maintain laboratory equipment and apparatus.
Train new technicians or other personnel on forensic science techniques.
Examine and analyze blood stain patterns at crime scenes.
Prepare solutions, reagents, or sample formulations needed for laboratory work.
Confer with ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, documents, electronics, medical, chemical, or metallurgical experts concerning evidence and its interpretation.
Interpret laboratory findings or test results to identify and classify substances, materials, or other evidence collected at crime scenes.
Examine physical evidence, such as hair, fiber, wood, or soil residues to obtain information about its source and composition.
Examine firearms to determine mechanical condition and legal status, performing restoration work on damaged firearms to obtain information such as serial numbers.
Analyze gunshot residue and bullet paths to determine how shootings occurred.
Compare objects, such as tools, with impression marks to determine whether a specific object is responsible for a specific mark.
Determine types of bullets used in shooting and if fired from a specific weapon.
Identify and quantify drugs or poisons found in biological fluids or tissues, in foods, or at crime scenes.

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Clerical: Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

Work Activities

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Work Context

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate: How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Consequence of Error: How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results: How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?
Deal With External Customers: How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Frequency of Decision Making: How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

Interests

Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Work Style

Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Analytical Thinking: Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Self Control: Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Independence: Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Work Values

Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Related Occupations

Environmental Compliance Inspectors

Coroners

Product Safety Engineers

Food Science Technicians

Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

Fire Investigators

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders

Lay Titles

Ballistic Expert

Ballistic Technician

Ballistician

Crime Lab Technician

Crime Laboratory Analyst

Crime Scene Analyst

Crime Scene Examiner

Crime Scene Investigator

Crime Scene Technician

Crime Specialist

Criminalist

Criminologist

Detective

Detective-Crime Scene Investigations

Dna Analyst

Evidence Technician

Fingerprint Classifier

Fingerprint Expert

Forensic Analyst

Forensic Ballistics Expert

Forensic Chemist

Forensic Investigator

Forensic Scientist

Handwriting Expert

Keeler Polygraph Operator

Latent Fingerprint Examiner

Lie Detector Operator

Polygraph Examiner

Polygraph Operator

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $25.41 hourly, $52,840 annual.

Employment (2008):: 12,440 employees