Forensic Scientist Career Profile

The Work

Forensic scientists locate, examine and prepare traces of physical evidence for use in courts of law. They use the principles of biology,
chemistry and maths to obtain and analyse evidence from a variety of sources, including blood and other body fluids, hairs, textile fibres,
glass fragments and tyre marks.

As a forensic scientist, the main focus of your work would be looking for evidence to link a suspect with a crime scene. However, your duties
could vary depending on your specialism and may include some or all of the following:
blood grouping and DNA profiling analysing fluid and tissue samples for traces of drugs and poisons identifying, comparing and matching various materials examining splash patterns and the distribution of particles analysing handwriting, signatures, ink and paper (known as questioned documents) providing expert advice on explosives, firearms and ballistics researching and developing new technologies recovering data from computers, mobile phones and other electronic equipment (known as 'electronic casework') attending crime scenes, such as a murder or fire giving impartial scientific evidence in court (if you have been trained as a 'reporting officer') supervising assistant forensic scientists in the lab.

You would use a variety of techniques and equipment to examine evidence, ranging from photography to infra-red, ultraviolet-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Hours
You would typically work 37 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Some employers operate a shift or on-call system to deal with high-priority work. Flexible or part-time hours may also be available. You would be based mainly in a lab, however, you may also visit crime scenes, which could involve dealing with unpleasant and challenging situations. You would wear protective clothing to prevent contamination and protect you from hazardous substances.

Income
Starting salaries can be around £20,000 a year.
With experience, earnings may reach £25,000 to £35,000.
Senior forensic scientists may earn £45,000 or more.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Skills and Knowledgean enquiring mind a logical and analytical approach patience and concentration highly-developed observational and scientific skills objectivity and personal integrity a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail the confidence to justify your findings when challenged strong written and spoken communication skills the ability to work alone and in a team the ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.

Opportunities

You will find most job opportunities with the Forensic Science Service (they have 11 sites around the country). You could also work for an independent organisation that provides forensic science services to the police. Public health laboratories, universities and companies that deal with specialised areas (such as fire investigation or examining questioned documents) also recruit forensic scientists.

Sign up for the Level 3 Diploma is Forensic Science