Police Identification and Records Officers
Machines can already do 26% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 48%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Police Identification and Records Officers in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 26% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 4% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2036, and 48% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 114,430 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $93,790 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 69% for contact with people.
- Also called: Crime Lab Analyst (Crime Laboratory Analyst), Crime Scene Investigator (CSI), Crime Scene Technician, Criminalist.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain records of evidence and write and review reports | 17% | 63% to 81% | |
| Analyze and process evidence at crime scenes, during autopsies, or in the laboratory, wearing protective equipment and using powders and chemicals | 16% | 3% to 25% | |
| Photograph crime or accident scenes for evidence records | 10% | 3% to 25% | |
| Package, store and retrieve evidence | 9% | 18% to 51% | |
| Look for trace evidence, such as fingerprints, hairs, fibers, or shoe impressions, using alternative light sources when necessary | 7% | 3% to 25% | |
| Dust selected areas of crime scene and lift latent fingerprints, adhering to proper preservation procedures | 7% | 3% to 25% | |
| Take fingerprints | 6% | 63% to 81% | |
| Serve as technical advisor and coordinate with other law enforcement workers or legal personnel to exchange information on crime scene collection activities | 4% | 22% to 47% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills police identification and records officers use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Correctional Officers and Jailers38% of tasks by 2035 · US median $58,940
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers46% of tasks by 2035 · US median $232,140
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers40% of tasks by 2035 · US median $77,970
- Animal Control Workers44% of tasks by 2035 · US median $45,660
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Police Identification and Records Officers?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2036. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of police identification and records officers?
Machines can do 26% of the tasks of police identification and records officers today and 48% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 33-3021.02 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Police Identification and Records Officers: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/police-identification-and-records-officers/