Digital Forensics Analysts: 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.
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The Daily Work of Digital Forensics Analysts Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of digital forensics analysts include:
- Analyze log files or other digital information to identify the perpetrators of network intrusions.
- Conduct predictive or reactive analyses on security measures to support cyber security initiatives.
- Create system images or capture network settings from information technology environments to preserve as evidence.
- Develop plans for investigating alleged computer crimes, violations, or suspicious activity.
- Develop policies or requirements for data collection, processing, or reporting.
- Duplicate digital evidence to use for data recovery and analysis procedures.
- Identify or develop reverse-engineering tools to improve system capabilities or detect vulnerabilities.
- Maintain cyber defense software or hardware to support responses to cyber incidents.
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Cyber Analyst
- Cyber Defense Analyst
- Cyber Digital Forensics
- Cyber Digital Media Analyst
- Cyber Forensics Analyst
- Cyber Intelligence Analyst
- Cyber Threat Analyst
- Cyber Threat Hunter
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 358,838 digital forensics analysts working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -3.9% over the projection horizon.
Digital Forensics Analysts Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $119,226 |
| Hourly median | $57.32 |
| 10th percentile | $65,848 |
| 25th percentile | $92,537 |
| 75th percentile | $145,915 |
| 90th percentile | $172,603 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Digital Forensics Analysts Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | $179,830 |
| Maryland | $141,540 |
| District of Columbia | $137,610 |
| Virginia | $132,810 |
| Delaware | $132,670 |
| Washington | $131,800 |
| California | $128,750 |
| Colorado | $119,560 |
| West Virginia | $113,030 |
| Hawaii | $112,050 |
| Arizona | $112,010 |
| Vermont | $109,220 |
| Texas | $108,170 |
| North Carolina | $106,240 |
| Massachusetts | $105,890 |
| New York | $105,210 |
| Ohio | $104,330 |
| Alabama | $104,330 |
| South Carolina | $104,330 |
| New Jersey | $103,910 |
| Iowa | $103,690 |
| Oregon | $102,940 |
| Florida | $102,750 |
| New Mexico | $102,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $102,330 |
| Michigan | $102,300 |
| Maine | $101,760 |
| Georgia | $100,950 |
| Nevada | $100,570 |
| Illinois | $100,310 |
| Kansas | $100,090 |
| Alaska | $100,040 |
| Minnesota | $99,740 |
| South Dakota | $98,550 |
| Connecticut | $97,870 |
| Rhode Island | $96,990 |
| Indiana | $96,530 |
| Idaho | $95,640 |
| Utah | $95,640 |
| Oklahoma | $95,640 |
| Kentucky | $90,380 |
| Wyoming | $90,010 |
| Nebraska | $87,920 |
| New Hampshire | $87,420 |
| Mississippi | $86,380 |
| Wisconsin | $85,290 |
| Missouri | $84,250 |
| Montana | $78,690 |
| Arkansas | $77,830 |
| Louisiana | $75,560 |
| North Dakota | $69,640 |
| Tennessee | $65,370 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,250 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for digital forensics analysts shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $126,964 | 25.0% | 1.54 |
| Middle Atlantic | $121,117 | 18.1% | 2.97 |
| Rocky Mountains | $108,235 | 3.6% | 0.97 |
| Southwest | $107,900 | 16.0% | 1.38 |
| New England | $102,646 | 2.6% | 0.65 |
| Southeast | $101,290 | 22.4% | 1.02 |
| Great Lakes | $97,392 | 6.3% | 0.61 |
| Plains States | $89,865 | 5.8% | 1.14 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $168,070 | 15,550 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $157,380 | 18,680 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $144,040 | 35,080 |
| Charlottesville, VA | VA | $142,150 | 140 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | MD | $139,940 | 420 |
| Lexington Park, MD | MD | $138,090 | 1,020 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $134,230 | 10,400 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $133,680 | 9,110 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of digital forensics analysts work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 130,160 | $106,200 |
| Information | 43,000 | $126,550 |
| Finance and Insurance | 28,690 | $126,080 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 25,660 | $127,600 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 24,880 | $96,000 |
| Manufacturing | 21,020 | $102,950 |
| Educational Services | 18,100 | $79,900 |
| Wholesale Trade | 13,130 | $100,550 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Expert system software: Ansible software (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple iOS (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Bash (hot technology)
- Switch or router software: Border Gateway Protocol BGP (hot technology)
- Development environment software: C (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C# (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Go (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Google Workspace software (hot technology)
How to Become Digital Forensics Analysts
This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Security Managers (Primary-Long)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers (Supplemental)
- Security Management Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Information Security Analysts (Primary-Short)
- Computer Network Support Specialists (Supplemental)
- Computer Network Architects (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for digital forensics analysts commonly pursue programs in:
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
5 programs across 5 majors
- Computer Science
- Computer Information Systems
- Information Science
- Information Technology
- Data Processing
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
4 programs across 4 majors
- Computational Science
- Human Computer Interaction
- Mathematics & Computer Science
- Accounting & Computer Science
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
2 programs across 1 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Physical Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 15-1299.06 (Computer Occupations, All Other).
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