Police Identification and Records Officers

Law, Public Safety, Corrections and SecurityO*NET 33-3021.02United States

Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $93,787
Projected change: +3.2%
Typical education: High school diploma or less
Employment: 124.36K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What police identification and records officers do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Photograph crime or accident scenes for evidence records.
Maintain records of evidence and write and review reports.
Submit evidence to supervisors, crime labs, or court officials for legal proceedings.
Testify in court and present evidence.
Look for trace evidence, such as fingerprints, hairs, fibers, or shoe impressions, using alternative light sources when necessary.
Analyze and process evidence at crime scenes, during autopsies, or in the laboratory, wearing protective equipment and using powders and chemicals.
Dust selected areas of crime scene and lift latent fingerprints, adhering to proper preservation procedures.
Package, store and retrieve evidence.
Process film and prints from crime or accident scenes.
Take fingerprints.
Perform emergency work during off-hours.
Serve as technical advisor and coordinate with other law enforcement workers or legal personnel to exchange information on crime scene collection activities.
Create sketches and diagrams, by hand or computer software, to depict crime scenes.
Coordinate or conduct instructional classes or in-services, such as citizen police academy classes and crime scene training for other officers.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $55,390
25th percentile: $69,326
50th percentile: $93,787
75th percentile: $120,515
90th percentile: $160,534

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $93,787 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+3.2%average or slower

2025124,362 jobs

2035 projected128,329 jobs

3,967 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less: 34.6%
Some college: 28.5%
Bachelor's degree: 24.9%
Associate degree: 10.8%
Certificate: 1.2%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Law Enforcement
Crowd Control
Health Crisis
Reconciliation
Technical Support
Fingerprint Identification And Classification
Expert Witness
Office Equipment
Automation
Chain Of Custody
Data Entry
Biology
Lifting Ability
Crime Scene Processing
Adobe Photoshop
Court Proceedings
Data Analysis
Digital Imaging
Laboratory Procedures
Digital Image Processing

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Fingerprint Technicians67 postings
02Identification Technicians13 postings
03Latent Print Examiners12 postings
04Fingerprint Examiners8 postings

Top employers

01Amentum45 postings
02City Of Big Spring4 postings
03City Of Colorado Springs4 postings
04BAE Systems2 postings
05Buncombe County Government2 postings
06Buncombe County Landfill2 postings
07County Of Tulare2 postings
08Hamilton County Sheriff's Department2 postings
09St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office2 postings
10State of Nevada2 postings
11Super Health Pharmacy2 postings
12Biometric Identification Services1 postings
13Brevard County Sheriff's Office1 postings
14CACI International1 postings
15City Of Atlanta1 postings
16City Of Cape Coral1 postings
17City Of Miami1 postings
18City Of Santa Monica1 postings
19City Of St. Louis1 postings
20City Of Winston-Salem1 postings

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