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Criminalist Salary
Are you like so many other Americans? You’re looking for a new job that is both exciting and rewarding and will help you to bring home a bigger paycheck so that you can make ends meet and give your family the comfortable living that they deserve. If you didn’t know, going back to college and earning a degree can help you to make that dream a reality. If you enjoy watching shows, such as CSI or Forensic Files, you may find that you are interested in a job as a criminalist. Now, you find yourself wondering about the criminalist salary, job description and educational requirements. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know to make a properly informed decision as to whether the criminalist salary is enough for you to make your dreams come true and whether this is a career path you want to pursue.
Job Description of a Criminalist
The first thing you need to know is what a criminalist is. So, a criminalist is a trained forensic scientist who examines fibers, weapons, hair and body tissues that were found at a crime scene. Criminalists also perform tests on these findings using high tech machines and equipment, such as chromatographs and spectrographs. Criminalists also can specialize in a field such as handwriting analysis, fingerprinting or firearm examination. As a criminalist, you can expect that you will usually work a forty hour week, but sometimes, you may work on a more erratic schedule. You will have to travel for your job to examine the crime scene, but a majority of your time will be spent in the laboratory examining evidence and writing up reports. You will upon occasion have to appear in court as an expert witness, so it is important that you can present your findings in a professional manner.
In order to become a criminalist, you must go back to school and earn at least a bachelor’s degree, if not a master’s or doctorate in a field such as forensic science, chemistry, physics, biology or physical anthropology. Taking courses in trigonometry, geometry, pharmacology, statistics and quantitative analysis are also beneficial. If you want better job opportunities, earning either a master’s degree or a doctorate degree is highly recommended. This can allow you to become a lab director.
Criminalist Salary
As a criminalist, you can expect that you will earn approximately $23.97 an hour. You will then make approximately $49,860 per year. However, there are a number of factors that can influence how much you make. If you have a master’s degree or a doctorate degree, you will make significantly more. Additionally, the more experience you have, the higher your criminalist salary.
Now that you know the criminalist salary, the job description and the educational requirements, you should be able to determine whether you can make your dreams a reality. If you think that this is the right career choice for you, please do not hesitate to contact a school of your choice and get signed up for some courses immediately. In doing so, you will be well on your way to a better and more financially stable future.
