Forensic Science Technicians Salary
Forensic Science Technicians in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX make a median of $66,440 a year, or about $31.94 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $83K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $67,363 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,573/month, about 34.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About forensic science technicians
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What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Forensic science technicians pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands tracks closely to the national median, $66K locally vs. $72K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for forensic science technicians in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $57K | $55K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $70K | $72K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $60K | $63K |
| El Paso | $59K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level forensic science technicians (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $83K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Forensic Science Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Forensic Science Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $125K | +73% | 370 |
| California | $102K | +42% | 2,800 |
| Connecticut | $86K | +19% | 120 |
| Colorado | $84K | +17% | 510 |
| Montana | $82K | +14% | 60 |
| Maryland | $82K | +14% | 460 |
| New York | $82K | +13% | 1,140 |
| Washington | $81K | +13% | 390 |
| Nevada | $81K | +13% | 360 |
| Oregon | $81K | +12% | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +10% | 290 |
| Minnesota | $77K | +7% | 140 |
| Vermont | $74K | +3% | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $72K | +0% | 310 |
| Idaho | $71K | -1% | 160 |
| North Dakota | $71K | -1% | 40 |
| Maine | $71K | -2% | 40 |
| Tennessee | $71K | -2% | 300 |
| Virginia | $69K | -4% | 770 |
| Iowa | $67K | -7% | 130 |
| Utah | $67K | -7% | 220 |
| Indiana | $67K | -8% | 320 |
| Oklahoma | $66K | -8% | 110 |
| Nebraska | $66K | -9% | 150 |
| New Mexico | $66K | -9% | 200 |
| Florida | $64K | -11% | 1,920 |
| Georgia | $64K | -12% | 550 |
| West Virginia | $63K | -12% | 110 |
| Arizona | $63K | -12% | 900 |
| New Jersey | $63K | -12% | 60 |
| Missouri | $63K | -13% | 350 |
| Pennsylvania | $62K | -15% | 360 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -15% | 60 |
| Texas | $60K | -17% | 1,900 |
| Alabama | $60K | -17% | 160 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -18% | 520 |
| Mississippi | $53K | -27% | 140 |
| Wyoming | $52K | -28% | 90 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -28% | 160 |
| South Dakota | $52K | -28% | 30 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -38% | 100 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track forensic science technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a forensic science technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 34.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for forensic science technicians in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forensic science technicians typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,285/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 69% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is forensic science technician a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $66K locally vs. $72K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for forensic science technicians?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — below the national median.
How much do forensic science technicians make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $66,440 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,080, and experienced forensic science technicians can clear $83,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,594/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 34.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a forensic science technicians salary go in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median forensic science technicians salary is worth about $67,363 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do forensic science technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.