Careers / Digital Forensics Analysts
Digital Forensics Analysts — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$116,580
United States, 2025
Employment
435,370
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Conduct investigations on computer-based crimes establishing documentary or physical evidence, such as digital media and logs associated with cyber intrusion incidents. Analyze digital evidence and investigate computer security incidents to derive information in support of system and network vulnerability mitigation. Preserve and present computer-related evidence in support of criminal, fraud, counterintelligence, or law enforcement investigations.
- O*NET code
- 15-1299.06
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Develop policies or requirements for data collection, processing, or reporting.
- Duplicate digital evidence to use for data recovery and analysis procedures.
- Preserve and maintain digital forensic evidence for analysis.
- Adhere to legal policies and procedures related to handling digital media.
- Write reports, sign affidavits, or give depositions for legal proceedings.
- Perform forensic investigations of operating or file systems.
- Create system images or capture network settings from information technology environments to preserve as evidence.
- Maintain knowledge of laws, regulations, policies or other issuances pertaining to digital forensics or information privacy.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$55,940
25th percentile
$79,370
75th percentile
$157,500
90th percentile
$188,470
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Writing3.5
- Speaking3.5
- Active Listening3.5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Active Learning3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Systems Analysis3.1
- Systems Evaluation3.0
- Time Management3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 13 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
13
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.5 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.5 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 3.5 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
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Compare with Digital Forensics AnalystsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $184,430 | 16,680 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $161,700 | 16,930 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $160,520 | 7,850 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $156,640 | — | 2025 |
| DC | $156,590 | 17,200 | 2025 |
| Hagerstown, MD | $148,700 | 350 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $147,590 | 1,120 | 2025 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $144,680 | 1,000 | 2025 |
| MD | $144,680 | 19,060 | 2025 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $144,580 | 220 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $140,750 | 800 | 2025 |
| CO | $139,580 | 11,800 | 2025 |
| VA | $139,030 | 17,000 | 2025 |
| DE | $137,470 | 860 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $136,120 | 10,710 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $135,600 | 9,010 | 2025 |
| CA | $134,440 | 80,150 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $131,730 | 500 | 2025 |
| Charleston, SC | $131,600 | 1,590 | 2025 |
| Columbus, OH | $129,940 | 2,410 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Digital Forensics Analysts to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.