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Science & Research · Updated Aug 2026

Forensic Science Technicians

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.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
64/100
High

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
47/100
Moderate

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence82/100
Task coverage83%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques.High
72
Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity.High
73
Use photographic or video equipment to document evidence or crime scenes.High
72
Collect impressions of dust from surfaces to obtain and identify fingerprints.High
73
Interpret laboratory findings or test results to identify and classify substances, materials, or other evidence collected at crime scenes.Medium
73
Use chemicals or other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases.High
58
Confer with ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, documents, electronics, medical, chemical, or metallurgical experts concerning evidence and its interpretation.Medium
73
Analyze data from computers or other digital media sources for evidence related to criminal activity.Medium
72
Identify and quantify drugs or poisons found in biological fluids or tissues, in foods, or at crime scenes.Medium
73
Reconstruct crime scenes to determine relationships among pieces of evidence.High
72
Determine types of bullets and specific weapons used in shootings.High
72
Compare objects, such as tools, with impression marks to determine whether a specific object is responsible for a specific mark.Medium
71
Train new technicians or other personnel on forensic science techniques.High
73
Examine physical evidence, such as hair, biological fluids, fiber, wood, or soil residues to obtain information about its source and composition.High
35
Examine firearms to determine mechanical condition and legal status, performing restoration work on damaged firearms to obtain information, such as serial numbers.Medium
56
Analyze gunshot residue and bullet paths to determine how shootings occurred.Medium
71
Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations.High
30
Testify in court about investigative or analytical methods or findings.High
74
Prepare solutions, reagents, or sample formulations needed for laboratory work.Medium
31
Examine footwear, tire tracks, or other types of impressions.Medium
32
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Testify in court about investigative or analytical methods or findings.74
  2. Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity.73
  3. Collect impressions of dust from surfaces to obtain and identify fingerprints.73
  4. Interpret laboratory findings or test results to identify and classify substances, materials, or other evidence collected at crime scenes.73
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations.01
  2. Prepare solutions, reagents, or sample formulations needed for laboratory work.02
  3. Examine footwear, tire tracks, or other types of impressions.03
  4. Examine physical evidence, such as hair, biological fluids, fiber, wood, or soil residues to obtain information about its source and composition.04
  5. Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency82
Physical dependency58
Adoption pressure51
Labour-market resilience71
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence82/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →