The following article will tell you more about a forensic toxicologist salary and what he does to earn it.
Even though the technicians working in labs usually work in a standard time frame through the week, they may be required to be on call outside their normal work hours if there is a case that requires immediate assistance.
A forensic toxicologist is an important link in all criminal investigations because of his extensive knowledge of all that is involved in investigating crimes. He has a very specialized and an equally interesting job.
If you’ve ever been into suspense thrillers, then imagining the thrill, danger, and tense moments that come with forensic toxicology will not be difficult. But that’s not all that a forensic toxicologist job entails, there’s much more to it. In the following article, we will focus more on the salary aspect of this profession. And just so you have a clearer understanding of why he earns what he earns, we’ll also add in some pointers about a forensic toxicologist’s duties. To know more about these two issues then, continue reading.
Average Salary by State
Alabama | $81,000 |
Alaska | $59,000 |
Arizona | $66,000 |
Arkansas | $80,000 |
California | $86,000 |
Colorado | $71,000 |
Connecticut | $92,000 |
Delaware | $70,000 |
Florida | $74,000 |
Georgia | $91,000 |
Hawaii | $50,000 |
Idaho | $54,000 |
Illinois | $91,000 |
Indiana | $77,000 |
Iowa | $78,000 |
Kansas | $73,000 |
Kentucky | $69,000 |
Louisiana | $70,000 |
Maine | $71,000 |
Maryland | $82,000 |
Massachusetts | $96,000 |
Michigan | $81,000 |
Minnesota | $70,000 |
Mississippi | $83,000 |
Missouri | $78,000 |
Montana | $71,000 |
Nebraska | $59,000 |
Nevada | $62,000 |
New Hampshire | $79,000 |
New Jersey | $86,000 |
New Mexico | $70,000 |
New York | $97,000 |
North Carolina | $76,000 |
North Dakota | $71,000 |
Ohio | $76,000 |
Oklahoma | $74,000 |
Oregon | $77,000 |
Pennsylvania | $77,000 |
Rhode Island | $73,000 |
South Carolina | $78,000 |
South Dakota | $60,000 |
Tennessee | $74,000 |
Texas | $77,000 |
Utah | $63,000 |
Vermont | $71,000 |
Virginia | $80,000 |
Washington | $82,000 |
West Virginia | $76,000 |
Wisconsin | $71,000 |
Wyoming | $66,000 |
Source: Indeed.com
* Note:
• All figures are as of June 10, 2014 and are calculated in US Dollars.
• These figures are average annual salaries and may vary based on the qualification, experience, location, type of employer, and so on.
Average Salary Range
According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual forensic toxicologist technician’s salary was $52,840 (as of May 2012). The hourly figure stood at $25.41 (as of May 2012).
The annual salary is calculated on the basis of the average sum of wages earned by these technicians where some have been earning a higher sum than the others. The technicians who fell in the top 10% earned more than $85,210, and those that figured in the bottom 10% earned less than $32,200.
Salary Range According to Industries
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has provided a median annual salary figure (as of May 2012) that was earned by these toxicologist technicians in the 5 top paying industries in which these technicians worked.
Duties and Responsibilities
The following section highlights the duties and responsibilities of a forensic toxicologist technician in greater detail.
• They also help to determine the presence of drugs and alcohol by testing blood and urine to determine the cause in incidents that revolve around sexual assaults, criminal activity, drink spiking incidents, and traffic infringements.
• They also aid the medical team with investigations that revolve around death, drug use, and poisoning.
• Since they are experts at studying bodily fluids, they have to sometimes check for instances of semen, urine, and blood within the boundaries of a crime scene.
• They are often called into court and it is their testimony that makes or breaks a case. This is because they have the exact understanding of what substance abuse can lead to in the body and therefore are able to determine what has caused it.
Popular media has contributed in increasing the awareness of forensic evidence among potential jurors. It is expected that forensic evidence will now contribute to many trials.