Love science and solving problems? You might have a career as a forensic expert
When you think of forensics, you might imagine one person in a lab coat analysing DNA or fingerprints.
And while that can be part of the picture, the science of crime and justice is a vast field that often combines
biology, chemistry and psychology to understand what happened, who did it and why.
The reality is that it takes time for lab results to come in, and there’s usually a team of hundreds working on multiple crimes at once. For example, the Victoria Police Forensic Services Department has over 500 staff and provides more than 100,000 examinations per year.
With a career in forensic science, you could be anything from a crime scene investigator to a forensic pathologist. The list of forensic jobs grows every year!
Fact vs Fiction
| TV | Reality |
| Futuristic equipment and facial recognition software are common. | Technology is advanced, but still not top tier. Enhancing blurry images or getting perfect facial matches is often not doable. |
| Results are instantaneous, with a case solved in a few hours or days. | Backlogs in labs are common, and it can take days, weeks, or even months to receive and analyse lab results. |
| One person (or a small team) performs multiple roles, like lab tech, detective or mortician. | Different experts handle different tasks, from evidence collection to lab analysis. |
| Investigators carry guns, chase suspects, and call all the shots. | Many forensic experts are rarely involved with suspect interrogations and arrests. |
Forensics for real
What a science career working in crime and justice actually looks like!
Michelle Neil, Forensic Analyst. Image: Supplied.
Have you ever heard of the CSI effect? As Michelle, a forensic analyst with Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, explains: “The CSI effect is when crime shows and other media like TikTok portray forensics and other science incorrectly.”
While most of the ‘science’ you watch on TV or TikTok unfolds rapidly, Michelle says her work tends to be complicated and time consuming.
“Depending on the run time for each sample [of forensic evidence] and how many samples there are, it might take 24 hours for the run to finish – or even a whole weekend!” Then, she needs to review the data and write up reports. Her pro tip for anyone interested in forensics?
Ask yourself which subjects you like best at school. This can help you figure out how to use your passion to solve forensic problems.
Given the diversity of forensic roles out there, you’re bound to find something that suits you!
“Forensic accountants to forensic nurses to forensic anthropologists, crime scene investigators, forensic psychologists, and even forensic dentists (odontologists),” Michelle says. Take your pick.
Michelle’s pathway
- Bachelor of Applied Science (Chemistry and Forensic Science), QUT
- Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Workforce Development and Training
- Documentation officer, analytical chemist & first aid officer, Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy
- Laboratory technician, Department of Environment, Science and innovation
- Forensic analyst, Queensland Health Forensic and Science
Start your career here
Science + crime & justice + study
- Bachelor of Forensic Science, UTS
- Bachelor of Forensic Science/Bachelor of Criminology, Deakin University
- Bachelor of Science (Chemistry), QUT
- Diploma of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Federation University
Science + crime & justice + jobs
- Forensic scientist $53K–$99K
- Forensic pathologist $51K–$306K
- Crime scene investigator (CSI) $33K–$102K
- Forensic scientist $53K–$99K
*Salaries according to payscale.com
This article first appeared in Careers with STEM: Science 2026.