Qualifications

• The minimum education requirements to become a fingerprint classifier are a high school education. Applicants for the fingerprint classifier position may be required to take a civil service exam. Some employers may require candidates for this position to possess experience in law enforcement and lifting fingerprints. Some community colleges offer degree programs in forensic science. Employers may accept candidates for position who have an associate degree in criminology, police science or law enforcement.
  
  

Environment

• Fingerprint classifiers work in an office setting, usually in investigative departments or crime laboratories. Full-time fingerprint classifiers work a standard 40-hour-a-week schedule, which may include nights and weekends; they might work overtime hours to produce investigative work. Fingerprint classifiers may also appear in court to testify as expert witnesses in regard to identity of individuals and visit crime scenes. They also examine fingerprint cards to classify fingerprints and record factual data about individuals, such as the name, gender, height, weight and color of eyes.
  
  

Salary

• According to Indeed, the average salary for a fingerprint classifier is $24,000 as of August 2011. The actual salary of a fingerprint classifier may vary depending on the employing agency as well as individual qualifications, training and experience. Fingerprint classifiers working for state or federal government agencies may receive additional benefits, including vacation pay, sick leave, insurance and pension plans.
  
  

Forensic Occupation

• According to the Occupational Employment Statistics, a division of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for forensic technicians was $51,570 as of May 2010, while the median hourly wages were $24.79. The mean annual salary, as of May 2010 was $55,040, and the mean hourly wages were $26.46.
  
  

Industries

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the top paying industries for the forensic technician's occupation are the executive branch of the federal government, insurance carriers, medical and diagnostic laboratories, architectural and engineering companies, and local government. The industries with the highest concentration of employment are state governments, medical and diagnostic laboratories, local governments, architectural and engineering companies and the Federal Executive Branch. The states with the highest employment levels include California, Florida, Texas, Arizona and Illinois.