📱 Install Findmino as an app for the best experience!
Also known as: Accident Examiner, Accident Investigator, Accident Reconstructionist, Community Service Officer
You walk into the sterile, quiet environment of the police identification lab, the smell of cleaning solution faint in the air. First, you boot up your workstation, logging into the department's CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) and RMS (Records Management System) to check for overnight updates or urgent requests. Your inbox glows with new emails from detectives requesting evidence photos or fingerprint analyses. You prioritize a submission for a breaking and entering case from last night, noting the assigned evidence number.
Software and technologies flagged by O*NET as Hot or In-Demand for this role.
+0.2%
US average: +3.5%
7,800
per year (US)
120,500
in 2025 → 120,700 (2035)
High school diploma or equivalent
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections; O*NET Bright Outlook. Read the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
How this work is typically performed, based on O*NET work context data.
Source: O*NET Work Context (v31.0)
This career has a stable outlook through 2035, with approximately 7,800 job openings expected each year. The median annual wage is $93,790. You could advance into specialized forensic roles or supervisory positions within crime scene investigation, building on your expertise.
Career ladder
Often before this role
Where it can lead
$93,790
Median annual wage, BLS 2025
Bachelor's Degree
Minimum educational requirement for this position
Based on job level & field
Criminalistics and Criminal Science
Bachelor • Law & Public Administration • 4 years
Forensic Science and Technology
Bachelor • Law & Public Administration • 4 years
Criminal Justice/Police Science
Bachelor • Law & Public Administration • 4 years
Police Academy
Vocational • Law & Public Administration • 1 year
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
Bachelor • Law & Public Administration • 4 years
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
Bachelor • Law & Public Administration • 4 years