What Does an Evidence Technician Do?
In a property room, the paperwork matters as much as the evidence. Evidence technicians work for police departments and other law enforcement agencies, logging, storing and releasing every item officers collect and keeping a signed chain of custody that will hold up in court. In some agencies the job extends to crime scenes.
Also known as: Police Evidence and Property Technician
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Crime Lab Analyst (Crime Laboratory Analyst), Crime Scene Analyst (CSA), Crime Scene Technician (Crime Scene Tech), Criminalist, CSI (Crime Scene Investigator), Evidence Technician (Evidence Tech), Forensic Science Examiner, Forensic Scientist.
Evidence Technician Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an evidence technician include:
- Receive evidence and found property from officers and check the packaging, seals and paperwork.
- Barcode each item and record its storage location in the property management system.
- Store drugs, firearms, money and biological evidence in the secure areas each one requires.
- Document every transfer so the chain of custody stays unbroken from intake to court.
- Deliver items to the state crime lab and collect them when testing is done.
- Release property to owners after checking identification and case clearance.
- Arrange court-ordered destruction of drugs and weapons, with witnesses present.
- Conduct inventories and audits of the property room and fix discrepancies right away.
- Testify in court about how an item was received, stored and handled.
- Photograph crime scenes and lift fingerprints in agencies that combine property and scene work.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an evidence technician, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Chain-of-custody procedure
- Property and evidence software with barcode tracking
- Safe handling of drugs, firearms and biohazards
- Attention to detail on every form
- Organizing large, crowded storage spaces
- Composure on the witness stand
- Integrity around cash, drugs and weapons
- Property and evidence training, such as IAPE courses
Education and Training
Background checks are thorough, since the job puts you in charge of items headed for trial. Police departments often hire people with records, warehouse or police support experience. They train new technicians on the job. A bachelor's degree is the norm for forensic science technicians as a whole, and agencies that also send evidence technicians to crime scenes often want one in forensic or natural science.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $57,830 - $94,520 per year, with a median of $72,060.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Forensic Science Technicians.
Employment of forensic science technicians is projected to grow about 13 percent from 2025 to 2035, BLS says. That wider group, which includes crime scene and lab analysts, expects about 2,800 openings a year. Property room posts tend to turn over slowly, but every department that takes in evidence needs someone to keep it safe and traceable.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Forensic science technicians.
Evidence Technician Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $48,250 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $57,830 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $72,060 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $94,520 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $117,250 |
Highest-Paying States for Evidence Technicians
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Illinois ($124,790), California ($102,100), Connecticut ($85,910), Colorado ($84,010), Montana ($82,200). Pay is lowest in South Carolina ($51,830), South Dakota ($51,690), Arkansas ($44,670).
Median pay in all 41 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $59,560 |
| Arizona | $63,250 |
| Arkansas | $44,670 |
| California | $102,100 |
| Colorado | $84,010 |
| Connecticut | $85,910 |
| Florida | $64,140 |
| Georgia | $63,600 |
| Idaho | $71,160 |
| Illinois | $124,790 |
| Indiana | $66,520 |
| Iowa | $67,060 |
| Kentucky | $61,470 |
| Maine | $70,870 |
| Maryland | $82,140 |
| Massachusetts | $79,320 |
| Minnesota | $76,960 |
| Mississippi | $52,850 |
| Missouri | $62,750 |
| Montana | $82,200 |
| Nebraska | $65,920 |
| Nevada | $81,090 |
| New Jersey | $63,220 |
| New Mexico | $65,570 |
| New York | $81,670 |
| North Carolina | $59,240 |
| North Dakota | $71,090 |
| Oklahoma | $65,940 |
| Oregon | $80,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,580 |
| South Carolina | $51,830 |
| South Dakota | $51,690 |
| Tennessee | $70,500 |
| Texas | $59,870 |
| Utah | $66,780 |
| Vermont | $74,110 |
| Virginia | $68,900 |
| Washington | $81,310 |
| West Virginia | $63,330 |
| Wisconsin | $72,280 |
| Wyoming | $52,100 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as forensic science technicians about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 82% use email every day
- 80% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 60% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 48% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 46% deal with rude or angry people at least once a week
- 45% speak in front of groups at least once a week
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Post-secondary certificate | 36% |
| High school diploma or GED | 29% |
| Bachelor's degree | 15% |
Tools and Software Evidence Technicians Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy analyzing problems and working with ideas as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving.
Knowledge areas used most: Law and Government, Public Safety and Security, Education and Training, English Language, Computers and Electronics.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 19-4092.00 (Forensic Science Technicians). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database 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. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.