How do I become a forensic anthropologist
Get qualified to work as a forensic anthropologist with a course recognised across Australia. Speak to a training provider to learn more.
Related career opportunities
Browse occupations related to Forensic Anthropologist.
Common questions
The average weekly salary for a Forensic Anthropologist in Australia is approximately $1,525. Increase your earning capacity by joining a professional organisation such as the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS) and pursuing a Master’s degree in a specialist field: genetics and DNA analysis, archaeology, pharmacology, forensic biology, forensic chemistry, biomedicine, or similar.
Courses.com.au Team
There are no clear employment figures for Forensic Anthropologists working in Australia right now. They are employed by government health departments and police forces, though most Forensic Anthropologists aspire to work for the renowned Forensic Services Division of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Canberra.
Courses.com.au Team
You can launch your career as a Forensic Anthropologist in Australia with a Bachelor of Human Sciences (Anatomy and Physiology) or Bachelor of Science (Anatomy and Human Biology) followed by a Master of Forensic Anthropology.
Source: Australian Government Labour Market Insights 2023
Courses.com.au Team
Further reading
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11th December 2019
What can you do with a Certificate III in Pathology Collection?
4th November 2021All forensic anthropologist courses
Forensic Anthropologist careers
Forensic Anthropologists are specialist scientists who analyse bones, skeletal remains, and the physical features of the human body to solve crimes. They assess the reach and shape of wounds and bodily trauma and are often required to process unidentified remains and determine the victim’s age, gender, and time of death. Forensic Anthropologists are also involved with Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) after natural disasters and terrorist activities.
As a Forensic Anthropologist you could be called to a suspected murder scene and supervising the excavation of buried remains, attending an autopsy to assess knife wounds and assist with the identification of the murder weapon, analysing decomposed remains to determine how long the victim has been deceased, carrying out facial reconstruction on skeletal remains, writing a report from your laboratory findings to submit to the state police department, appearing in court as an expert witness, or attending an international conference for forensic professionals.
Forensic Anthropologists create reports that are used in court as evidence to convict the perpetrators of murders and serious crimes, so attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy is essential to success.
