Police Identification and Records Officers in California
Considering working as a Police Identification and Records Officers in California? Here’s what the data says. Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes. Excludes “Private Detectives and Investigators” (33-9021).
What do Police Identification and Records Officers Make in California?
For a police identification and records officers working in California, the typical annual salary is $122,140 per year (or about $58.72/hour).Annual wages span from $79,350 at the 10th percentile to $165,230 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $79,350 | $38.15 |
| 25th percentile | $99,520 | $47.85 |
| Median (50th) | $122,140 | $58.72 |
| 75th percentile | $136,250 | $65.51 |
| 90th percentile | $165,230 | $79.44 |
The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in California nationwide is 0.92.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, police identification and records officers earn a median of $61,847 per year ($29.73/hour), higher than the California median.
Employment Outlook
Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 497,425 police identification and records officers across the United States. In California alone, about 11,900 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 1,240 police identification and records officers.
Top California Metros for Police Identification and Records Officers
These are the California metros with the most police identification and records officers in California.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,070 | $127,980 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,780 | $118,830 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,540 | $109,830 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,430 | $126,380 |
| El Centro, CA | 730 | $121,330 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 690 | $125,300 |
| Fresno, CA | 390 | $104,980 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 260 | $156,890 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 230 | $100,030 |
| Visalia, CA | 80 | $88,030 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 70 | $143,250 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 60 | $110,530 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 60 | $114,420 |
| Vallejo, CA | 50 | $104,220 |
| Modesto, CA | 40 | $86,050 |
| Redding, CA | 40 | $96,880 |
| Salinas, CA | 40 | $129,880 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 40 | $107,060 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 40 | $129,370 |
Top States for Police Identification and Records Officers Employment
These states have the highest employment of police identification and records officers work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| Texas | 18,020 |
| California | 11,900 |
| New York | 9,410 |
| Florida | 6,310 |
| Arizona | 5,220 |
| Georgia | 4,820 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,390 |
| North Carolina | 3,240 |
| Virginia | 3,170 |
| Illinois | 3,100 |
| New Jersey | 3,000 |
| Ohio | 2,120 |
| Michigan | 2,050 |
| Colorado | 2,030 |
| New Mexico | 2,000 |
| Tennessee | 1,960 |
| Louisiana | 1,870 |
| Minnesota | 1,770 |
| Washington | 1,680 |
| Wisconsin | 1,480 |
Highest-Paying States for Police Identification and Records Officers
The highest-paying states for police identification and records officers.
| 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 |
Skills
The most important police identification and records officers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Top abilities for police identification and records officers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Police Identification and Records Officers typically:
- 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.
- 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.
Work Activities
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Getting Information
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Processing Information
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Working with Computers
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Analyzing Data or Information
Tools & Technology
Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Adobe Photoshop, Linux
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Programs that train for this career include:
- Criminal Justice & Corrections
- Security Science and Technology
- Natural Resource Management
- Intelligence & Command Operations
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Related Careers
Related occupations to police identification and records officers include:
- Clinical Research Coordinators
- Compliance Officers
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators
- Coroners
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts
Also Known As
Accident Examiner, Accident Investigator, Accident Reconstructionist, Community Service Officer, Computer Forensic Examiner, Computer Forensic Specialist, Corrections Identification Technician, Crime Lab Analyst (Crime Laboratory Analyst), Crime Scene Evidence Technician, Crime Scene Examiner, Crime Scene Investigator (CSI), Crime Scene Specialist, Crime Scene Technician, Crime Victim Specialist, Criminal Identification Coordination Specialist.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 33-3021.02