Crime Lab Technician Education Requirements and Job Duties

A crime lab technician helps criminal investigators solve crimes by collecting evidence at crime scenes and analyzing it in a laboratory. Crime lab technicians use microscopes, lab instruments, chemicals and other substances to perform tests on evidence. Crime lab technicians hold an associate's or bachelor's degree in forensic science.

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Education Requirements

Most employers, especially federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prefer applicants who hold a bachelor's degree in forensic science or a related science, such as biology, chemistry, molecular biology, physics and microbiology. Individuals who hold a bachelor's degree in a science other than forensic science may enroll in certificate and graduate courses in forensic science at universities, colleges and 2-year schools. Every crime lab technician must be proficient at using a microscope and have a strong knowledge of chemistry and statistics.

Curriculum for Education

Bachelor's degree programs in forensic science generally include courses in several areas of science, as well as criminal justice. Courses typically include toxicology, crime lab procedures, criminalistics, criminal justice administration, biochemistry, odontology, trace evidence and physical evidence.

Students are also required to complete an internship in a crime lab. Interns don't gather and analyze crime scene evidence, but they observe others who perform such duties. Some aspiring lab technicians who pursue a bachelor's degree in forensic science also major in criminal justice or study it as a minor.

Training Requirements

Most crime lab technicians work for local and state governments, which typically offer on-the-job training. Training is also provided by companies that operate private labs, which handle contracts for law enforcement agencies and other clients. Crime lab technicians hired by the federal government usually undergo training at the FBI's Forensic Science Research and Training Center in Quantico, VA.

Job Duties

Depending on the jurisdiction where a lab technician works, he or she may collect evidence at crime scenes, work only in a laboratory analyzing evidence collected at the crime scene or perform both duties. Job responsibilities of crime lab technicians also depend on the specialties they choose. Specialties include ballistics, fingerprints, hair, fibers, fingerprints, explosives, computers, DNA testing, glass and body fluids.

Every crime lab tech uses special instruments, equipment and other materials to collect or examine evidence. Most crime lab technicians work as part of a team that may include other technicians, criminal investigators and medical experts. After examining evidence, crime lab technicians write reports on their findings and often present them during testimony at criminal trials.

Job Outlook

Aspiring crime lab technicians who meet more than the minimum education requirements have the best job prospects. The number of crime lab tech positions is anticipated increase 20% between 2008 and 2018 due to the rising use of various forensic science methods to collect and process evidence, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov). Crime lab technicians earned a median hourly wage of $24.74 in 2009.

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