Forensic Chemist I pay range
Commonwealth of Kentucky · class code 20000940
- Class code
- 20000940
- Pay grade
- 14
- Pay unit
- Month
- Alternate ranges
- 3
- State
- Kentucky
- The Commonwealth of Kentucky published pay range for Forensic Chemist I is $3,673 to $5,877 per month, spanning every alternate range the plan defines.
- Kentucky publishes an entry rate and a midpoint for each pay grade, not a maximum, so the upper figure on this page is the grade midpoint.
- That works out to about $44,074 to $70,518 a year at full time.
- Kentucky Personnel Cabinet keys this classification as class code 20000940.
- The plan defines 3 alternate ranges for this class, so the rate depends on which criteria an employee meets.
- This is the range the plan authorises, not the salary of any individual employee.
Alternate ranges
| Range | Entry | Midpoint | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range 37.5-hour week | $3,673 | $5,509 | per month |
| Range 40-hour week | $3,918 | $5,877 | per month |
| Range Hourly | $22.60 | $33.90 | per hour |
Which alternate range applies is set by the plan's own criteria (experience, certification or assignment). The criteria text lives in the source document.
Class specification
The Personnel Cabinet class specification for this class is published by Kentucky Personnel Cabinet. The passages below are quoted from it as published, not paraphrased, and cut to their opening sentences; the full specification is the authority on duties and qualifications. It was last revised 11/16/2024.
What the state says the job is
Participates in a forensic chemistry-based agency training program gaining skills to perform work in accordance with accredited methods, analyses and comparisons of liquid, solid and/or gaseous materials, substances and/or compounds submitted for examination pursuant to criminal investigations; and performs other duties as required.
Examples of the work
Receives training in one or more of the forensic disciplines including: Solid Dose Drug Identification, Blood Alcohol Quantitation, Breath Alcohol Analyses, Toxicological Drug Identification and Quantitation, Gunshot Residue Analyses, Paint, Hair, Fiber and/or Glass Comparisons, Fire Debris Analyses, Explosives and Explosive Residue Analyses, and /or Soil and Fertilizer Comparisons.
Minimum qualifications
EDUCATION: Graduate of a college or university with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, forensic science, or a related science field. EXPERIENCE, TRAINING, OR SKILLS: NONE Substitute EDUCATION for EXPERIENCE: NONE Substitute EXPERIENCE for EDUCATION: NONE
Quoted from the Personnel Cabinet class specification, read 2026-10-21.
Where this comes from
Kentucky Personnel Cabinet publishes this figure in Classified and Unclassified 37.5 and 40-Hour Salary Schedule, effective September 16, 2026. Every number on this page is read from that document; nothing is estimated, modelled or averaged.
Job titles and their pay grades come from the Job Specification Search, joined to the salary schedule.
Nearby classes in Kentucky
Forensic Chemist I in other states
| State | Entry | Midpoint | Per year at full time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $27.34 | $38.34 | $56,867 to $79,747 |
Each state publishes its own range for a classification with this exact title. Duties, grade structures and bargaining units differ between states, so read each class page before comparing.