How we know this
This job isn’t in the U.S. government’s occupational survey yet, so this page carries no official pay figures. Everything below is drawn from published job descriptions and industry guides, each one linked at the foot of the page. The work described is real and sourced. What’s missing is the survey’s rating of which parts of the job matter most — so read this as a picture of the work, not a ranked list.
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Examine microscopic materials like fibers and hair.
+Examine the collected fibers and hairs under the compound and comparison microscopes, characterise…
Examine microscopic materials like fibers and hair.
+Examine the collected fibers and hairs under the compound and comparison microscopes, characterise morphology, note color and cross-section, run microchemical tests as needed, and list probable origin and next tests required in the case file.
The tools that do the workRaman spectroscopyMicrospectrophotometryweb
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Operate scientific instruments such as microscopes and spectrometers.
+Run the scheduled instrument sequence for the batch of trace mounts: align optics, stabilise source, load…
Operate scientific instruments such as microscopes and spectrometers.
+Run the scheduled instrument sequence for the batch of trace mounts: align optics, stabilise source, load samples, record instrument settings and raw spectra/images, and flag any runs needing repeat before closing the log.
The tools that do the workSEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy)web
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Compare evidence samples to control samples for identification.
+Compare the unknown samples to known controls side-by-side: document morphological matches, overlay spectral…
Compare evidence samples to control samples for identification.
+Compare the unknown samples to known controls side-by-side: document morphological matches, overlay spectral profiles, quantify similarity, decide identification level (consistent, indistinguishable, excluded), and note statistical confidence in the report.
The tools that do the workMicrospectrophotometryFTIR spectroscopyweb
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Document analysis procedures and findings meticulously.
+Write a step-by-step record of the analysis for case 22-417: sample receipt, preparation steps, instrument…
Document analysis procedures and findings meticulously.
+Write a step-by-step record of the analysis for case 22-417: sample receipt, preparation steps, instrument settings, observations, data files generated, QC checks, chain of custody notes, and the analyst interpretation with uncertainty statements.
The tools that do the workFTIR spectroscopyweb
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Prepare detailed reports explaining scientific findings.
+Draft the technical findings for case 22-417: background, methods, results with annotated figures, spectral…
Prepare detailed reports explaining scientific findings.
+Draft the technical findings for case 22-417: background, methods, results with annotated figures, spectral and microscopy evidence, interpretation tied to the data, limitations, and recommended follow-up for the prosecutor by Thursday.
The tools that do the workFTIR spectroscopyMicrospectrophotometryweb
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Photograph evidence and analysis results for records.
+Photograph each evidence item and instrument outputs: calibrated scale and color card in each frame, multiple…
Photograph evidence and analysis results for records.
+Photograph each evidence item and instrument outputs: calibrated scale and color card in each frame, multiple magnifications, raw and annotated images, save to the case folder with descriptive filenames and enter imaging log entries.
The tools that do the workSEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy)Microspectrophotometryweb
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Says who?
These are the pages we read to build this. Open any of them and check us.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
The rest of the map
Same library, five ways in.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses