| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Testify in court and present evidence. |
| Importance: 98 (%) | Description: Submit evidence to supervisors, crime labs, or court officials for legal proceedings. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Maintain records of evidence and write and review reports. |
| Importance: 91 (%) | Description: Package, store and retrieve evidence. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Analyze and process evidence at crime scenes, during autopsies, or in the laboratory, wearing protective equipment and using powders and chemicals. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Dust selected areas of crime scene and lift latent fingerprints, adhering to proper preservation procedures. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Photograph crime or accident scenes for evidence records. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Look for trace evidence, such as fingerprints, hairs, fibers, or shoe impressions, using alternative light sources when necessary. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Serve as technical advisor and coordinate with other law enforcement workers or legal personnel to exchange information on crime scene collection activities. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Coordinate or conduct instructional classes or in-services, such as citizen police academy classes and crime scene training for other officers. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Perform emergency work during off-hours. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Take fingerprints. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Process film and prints from crime or accident scenes. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Create sketches and diagrams, by hand or computer software, to depict crime scenes. |
Protective Service Careers Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Protective Service Careers Jobs Matched Across 26 Careers - all on one page
Protective service careers safeguard people and property through law enforcement, emergency response, security, fire protection, and supervision. For people who want public-safety work that requires responsibility, judgment, and service under pressure. Use the tools below to compare related job titles, education requirements, growth, and career resources.
Here is a short Helper Video 
.
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Protective Service Careers careers/jobs, (2) Find Protective Service Careers job listings, (3) Prepare for matching Protective Service Careers careers, and (4) Provide Protective Service Careers career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Protective Service Careers careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Protective Service Careers Careers - 2023 to 2033 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Protective Service Careers careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Protective Service Careers, so relevant Protective Service Careers jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Protective Service Careers Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Protective Service Careers Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Protective Service Careers careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 907 Protective Service Careers Job Titles.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and work experience required
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job title selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
20 Protective Service Careers careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2023 to 2033 est.). Protective Service Careers-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2023-2033 (% change) | Protective Service Careers-Related Jobs |
26 Protective Service Careers careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Protective Service Careers-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Protective Service Careers-Related Jobs |
26 Protective Service Careers careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Protective Service Careers-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Protective Service Careers-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 907 specific Protective Service Careers job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Job Listings
.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
No selection made: Please make a selection from 1) SELECT A CAREER/JOB(at top of page)
Police Identification and Records Officers
Description: Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Police Identification and Records Officers":
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Identify, compare, classify, and file fingerprints, using systems such as Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) or the Henry Classification System. |
| Importance: 46 (%) | Description: Interview survivors, witnesses, suspects, and other law enforcement personnel. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 91 (%) | Description: Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Importance: 91 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Importance: 77 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Working with Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Performing General Physical Activities: Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Communicating with People Outside the Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Providing Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Analyze crime scene evidence. | |
| Collaborate with law enforcement or security agencies to share information. | |
| Direct employee training programs. | |
| Document legal or regulatory information. | |
| Draw detailed or technical illustrations. | |
| Examine crime scenes to obtain evidence. | |
| Interview people to gather information about criminal activities. | |
| Process forensic or legal evidence in accordance with procedures. | |
| Record crime or accident scene evidence with video or still cameras. | |
| Record information about suspects or criminals. | |
| Respond to emergencies to provide assistance. | |
| Testify at legal or legislative proceedings. | |
| Use databases to locate investigation details or other information. | |
| Write operational reports. | |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance) These are the foundational skills that are most important for success in this occupation. For the most important Essential Skills, how can you begin building experience and practice so that you are prepared for this type of occupation? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Essential Skill: 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. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Essential Skill: Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Essential Skill: Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Essential Skill: Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Essential Skill: Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Analyze biological or chemical substances or related data. |
| Activity: Coordinate activities with clients, agencies, or organizations. |
| Activity: Create visual designs or displays. |
| Activity: Gather information from physical or electronic sources. |
| Activity: Intervene in crisis situations or emergencies. |
| Activity: Interview people to obtain information. |
| Activity: Investigate criminal or legal matters. |
| Activity: Manage human resources activities. |
| Activity: Prepare legal or regulatory documents. |
| Activity: Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities. |
| Activity: Present information in legal proceedings. |
| Activity: Process forensic or legal evidence. |
| Activity: Record images with photographic or audiovisual equipment. |
| Activity: Record information about legal matters. |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Administrative: Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. |
Software Skills
| Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
||||||||||
| Emerging Tech Skills | ||||||||||
| Data base user interface and query software: | ||||||||||
| Microsoft Access | ||||||||||
| Graphics or photo imaging software: | ||||||||||
| Adobe Photoshop | ||||||||||
| Office suite software: | ||||||||||
| Microsoft Office software | ||||||||||
| Operating system software: | ||||||||||
| Linux Microsoft Windows | ||||||||||
| Presentation software: | ||||||||||
| Microsoft PowerPoint | ||||||||||
| Process mapping and design software: | ||||||||||
| Microsoft Visio | ||||||||||
| Spreadsheet software: | ||||||||||
| Microsoft Excel | ||||||||||
| Word processing software: | ||||||||||
| Microsoft Word | ||||||||||
| General Software Tools | ||||||||||
| Data base user interface and query software (scroll table below): | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Graphics or photo imaging software (scroll table below): | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Internet browser software: | ||||||||||
| Web browser software |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed |
| Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job. |
| Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. |
| Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations. |
| These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 34.6 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 28.5 (%) | Level of Education: Some College Courses |
| Frequency of Attainment: 24.9 (%) | Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 10.8 (%) | Level of Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 1.2 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 40.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 30.2 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 14.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 9.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Up to and including 1 month |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 1.2 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 years, up to and including 8 years |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Job Listings
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles Scroll and click to see current job listings. How can you use these listings to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills you should highlight on your resume? |
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Police Identification and Records Officers". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Police Identification and Records Officers
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
Developed by Dr. Ralph Jagodka © 2026 About This Page
© 2026 - Disclaimer - Privacy