Fame
Criminal suspects, lawyers, and judges hog media attention in big cases, but sometimes fame rubs off on the foot soldiers. In cases where there's a lot of evidence—DNA, fingerprints, gunshot residue, and the like—forensic experts will testify in court, and are able to showcase their work to a crowd. Finally, they can take some credit for all the hard work that often goes unnoticed.
Depending on the profile of the case, you may be able to squeeze in your fifteen minutes of fame. Just imagine it: after a long trial the judge stands up and proclaims, "The defendant is guilty of mass murder, thanks to the evidence analysis of Dr. Forensic Scientist." We're pretty sure that's not exactly what the judge will say, but you get the idea.