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Police Identification and Records Officers: Career Overview
Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.
What Tasks Do Police Identification and Records Officers Perform?
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
Effective police identification and records officers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
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)
Job Outlook
There are about 497,425 police identification and records officers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +7.1% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Police Identification and Records Officers
| 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 |
Wages vary widely 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 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for police identification and records officers differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| 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 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Police Identification and Records Officers
| 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 |
Top Industries Employing Police Identification and Records Officers
The bulk of police identification and records officers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 440 | $115,070 |
| Educational Services | 280 | $82,990 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 60 | $85,650 |
Below are examples of industries where police identification and records officers work:
Tools and Technology
- 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)
Work Environment
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
Typical 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.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Clinical Research Coordinators (Supplemental)
- Compliance Officers (Primary-Long)
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors (Supplemental)
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators (Supplemental)
- Coroners (Primary-Short)
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Digital Forensics Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health (Supplemental)
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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