How to become a forensic scientist
Official title: Forensic scientist
Also called: DNA analyst, Toxicologist, Crime scene examiner, Firearms examiner, Illicit drug analyst
Forensic scientists use their scientific knowledge and skills to investigate crimes and help the police find or eliminate suspects.
Main tasks
- Analyse hair, blood and other body fluids
- Examine objects like glass, bullets and tools
- Test body tissues for poisons
- Identify drugs in body fluids or crime scenes
- Visit crime scenes to collect evidence
- Write reports on findings
- Present evidence in court
- Take notes and draw crime scene maps
How to become one
You need more than one qualification to become a forensic scientist. You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: a Bachelor of Science (Forensic Science); a Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Science; a driver licence; to pass a police check. Other requirements: a Master of Science (Forensics).
Ways in
- University: Science degrees, Offered by 6 universities in New Zealand
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $93,000 to $138,000 a year (median $118,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $75,000 a year · Upper: $157,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 130 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Medical scientist
- Materials scientist
- Natural sciences manager
- Bioinformatics technician
- Biochemist
- Microbiologist
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Questions people ask
How do I become a forensic scientist?
You need more than one qualification to become a forensic scientist. You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: a Bachelor of Science (Forensic Science); a Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Science; a driver licence; to pass a police check. Other requirements: a Master of Science (Forensics).
How much does a forensic scientist earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $118,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $93,000 to $138,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a forensic scientist grown in New Zealand?
It has held steady: TEC records the number of people doing this job as steady between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026