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How much money does a forensic artist make and how much money does a toxicologist make?

I am in my last year of middle school and I am stuck between wanting to be an artist or a forensic artist or a toxicologist. My ideal job would be to be an artist and sell my work (if someone could give ways to sell art that would be much appreciated) but I have heard that artists do not make much money. My next two would be to be a forensic artist or a toxicologist. How much money do they make yearly and what would their schedule look like? I have greatly enjoy art and I have been told that my art is good, so going off of that with practice obviously I think I could sell my art.

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Tatiana T.’s Answer

I am a former forensic scientist, so I love this question. As Sean mentioned above, forensic artistry and toxicology are HUGELY different. As an artist, you may be able to freelance and work for law enforcement in different capacities. Drawing in courtroom settings or for investigative purposes in police stations as an artist. I am not certain about the pay, however I would actually suggest (if you haven't already) creating a LinkedIn account and searching for forensic artists and don't hesitate to DM them and ask they questions. I used to connect students to forensic professionals in this way and it was extremely beneficial.

As a forensic toxicologist, you would moreso work in a laboratory as a scientist analyzing biological samples like urine and blood either for post-mortem purposes or clinical purposes. Much less "creative" than an artist. It is a very science heavy background. I worked in this field, so I can speak to the pay depending on which country or state that you work in, and the type of lab being either a city, state or private lab, as well as the level of education/degree (undergrad, graduate, etc). I would advise looking up current job openings at labs in different states, typically they will list an average salary range there so you can have some idea of what it would be. And again, LinkedIn could also be helpful here as well in DMing professionals and inquiring with them.

Good luck in whichever career option you decide to go with.
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Sean’s Answer

I started out wanting to be an artist and studied art at San Jose State. That's a great way to start out and from there I specialized in Graphic Design which in turn allowed me to understand print publishing and eventually running web sites. I would encourage you to pursue what you enjoy and then keep an open mind. There are many fields related to art that do pay very well, especially art directors for web sites and other digital marketing jobs.

Toxicology is a very different path which I assume would require a degree in chemistry! I don't know much about that world but I doubt it's as cool as on TV. Art however is fun and you can find a good paying job if you work hard and keep open to the possibilities.
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