Police Identification and Records Officers: Job Description
Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.
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What Tasks Do Police Identification and Records Officers Do?
The core tasks performed by police identification and records officers span:
- 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.
- Dust selected areas of crime scene and lift latent fingerprints, adhering to proper preservation procedures.
- Analyze and process evidence at crime scenes, during autopsies, or in the laboratory, wearing protective equipment and using powders and chemicals.
- Package, store and retrieve evidence.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful police identification and records officers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Police Identification and Records Officers Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Accident Examiner
- Accident Investigator
- Accident Reconstructionist
- Community Service Officer
- Computer Forensic Examiner
- Computer Forensic Specialist
- Corrections Identification Technician
- Crime Lab Analyst (Crime Laboratory Analyst)
How Many Police Identification and Records Officers Are There?
The U.S. employs around 497,425 police identification and records officers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +7.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Police Identification and Records Officers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $61,847 |
| Hourly median | $29.73 |
| 10th percentile | $36,588 |
| 25th percentile | $49,217 |
| 75th percentile | $74,477 |
| 90th percentile | $87,107 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $125,630 |
| California | $122,140 |
| Alaska | $121,140 |
| Washington | $116,450 |
| New Jersey | $113,830 |
| Hawaii | $112,100 |
| Massachusetts | $111,460 |
| Virginia | $110,220 |
| Oregon | $107,450 |
| Vermont | $104,330 |
| New York | $103,340 |
| Arizona | $103,270 |
| Colorado | $102,910 |
| Nebraska | $99,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $98,740 |
| Montana | $95,640 |
| Nevada | $95,590 |
| Connecticut | $95,420 |
| Wisconsin | $92,910 |
| Michigan | $92,560 |
| West Virginia | $90,690 |
| New Hampshire | $90,050 |
| Texas | $89,860 |
| Illinois | $89,740 |
| Rhode Island | $88,780 |
| Delaware | $88,350 |
| New Mexico | $86,840 |
| North Dakota | $84,580 |
| Minnesota | $82,330 |
| Maine | $80,750 |
| Wyoming | $80,250 |
| Missouri | $78,670 |
| Florida | $78,290 |
| Ohio | $77,940 |
| Idaho | $77,460 |
| Kentucky | $77,440 |
| Oklahoma | $77,440 |
| Iowa | $77,440 |
| South Dakota | $77,440 |
| Indiana | $74,600 |
| Utah | $74,530 |
| Tennessee | $72,800 |
| Kansas | $68,180 |
| Puerto Rico | $66,840 |
| Alabama | $66,020 |
| Georgia | $64,990 |
| South Carolina | $63,060 |
| North Carolina | $62,480 |
| Louisiana | $59,500 |
| Mississippi | $56,310 |
| Arkansas | $53,460 |
Where Police Identification and Records Officers Earn the Most
Pay for police identification and records officers vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $119,744 | 14.0% | 0.86 |
| Middle Atlantic | $105,564 | 15.5% | 1.13 |
| New England | $97,494 | 3.4% | 0.79 |
| Rocky Mountains | $93,204 | 3.5% | 0.92 |
| Southwest | $91,672 | 24.5% | 1.97 |
| Great Lakes | $86,404 | 9.2% | 0.64 |
| Plains States | $79,153 | 5.2% | 0.82 |
| Southeast | $73,501 | 24.2% | 1.01 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | MD | $157,270 | 40 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $156,890 | 260 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | GA | $155,110 | 220 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $153,340 | 4,760 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | CA | $143,250 | 70 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $129,880 | 40 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $129,370 | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $127,980 | 3,070 |
Which Industries Hire Police Identification and Records Officers
The bulk of police identification and records officers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 440 | $115,070 |
| Educational Services | 280 | $82,990 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 60 | $85,650 |
Police Identification and Records Officers work in the following industries:
Software Police Identification and Records Officers Use
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for police identification and records officers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Education and Training
Entry-level police identification and records officers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
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Degree Programs
Future police identification and records officers typically earn programs in:
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
12 programs across 2 majors
Natural Resources and Conservation
1 programs across 1 majors
Military Technologies and Applied Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 33-3021.02 (Detectives and Criminal Investigators).
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