How to hire a latent print examiner

Latent print examiner hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring latent print examiners in the United States:

In the United States, the median cost per hire a latent print examiner is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new latent print examiner to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a latent print examiner, step by step

To hire a latent print examiner, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a latent print examiner:

Here's a step-by-step latent print examiner hiring guide:

Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
Step 3: Make a budget
Step 4: Write a latent print examiner job description
Step 5: Post your job
Step 6: Interview candidates
Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new latent print examiner
Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a latent print examiner job for free, promote it for a fee

Identify your hiring needs

Before you post your latent print examiner job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a latent print examiner for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

Determine employee vs contractor status

Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a latent print examiner to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a latent print examiner that fits the bill.

This list shows salaries for various types of latent print examiners.

Type of Latent Print Examiner	Description	Hourly rate
Latent Print Examiner	Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.	$18-49

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Latent Prints
- Afis
- Processing Methods
- Physical Evidence
- Identification System
- ABI
- Criminal Justice
- Law Enforcement Agencies
- Adobe Photoshop
- Process Evidence
- DNA
- Court Proceedings
- Laboratory Operations
- Palm Prints
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Help UI, WIA, and WP staff with data entry when need.
- Evaluate and enter suitable prints in the AFIS.
- Water and mold restoration including demolition, moisture and humidity readings.
- Serve as firstresponder for accidents and disasters, applying cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other life- saving procedures as needed.
Make a budget
Including a salary range in your latent print examiner job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A latent print examiner salary can vary based on several factors:
- Location. For example, latent print examiners' average salary in florida is 39% less than in rhode island.
- Seniority. Entry-level latent print examiners earn 62% less than senior-level latent print examiners.
- Certifications. A latent print examiner with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
- Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a latent print examiner's salary.
Average latent print examiner salary
$63,258yearly
$30.41 hourly rate
Entry-level latent print examiner salary
$39,000 yearly salary
Updated December 21, 2025
Writing a latent print examiner job description
A latent print examiner job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a latent print examiner job description:
Latent print examiner job description example
These positions are working 3rd shift Wed – Sat. 7:30pm - 5:30am; will be required to work weekends and Holidays. Position is offered a 15% shift differential.

Responsibilities:
- Be able to prepare, search, retrieve, analyze, compare, and evaluate friction ridge images
- Practical experience in comparing latent prints to known prints and make conclusions
- Experience in the examination of digital images and determination whether a latent print has sufficient quality to make a comparison, and/or to submit to the available databases
- Experience with digital forensic principles and tools and knowledge of tools and systems used for identity exploitation of biometric attributes.
- Shall also possess experience in the review and evaluation of identity data contained in large Federal identity information repositories and in the management best practices, techniques, and methods in the biometric field
- Write technical reports on the scientific analysis of comparisons
- Develop and maintain professional working relationships with colleagues and
- provide outstanding customer service and support to State, Federal and Local Law Enforcement agencies, agents throughout the Department of Homeland Security and its mission partners
- Positions may be shift work. This is a 24 x 7 operation, 365 days a year and all candidates must be willing to work, nights, weekends and/or holidays
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office software applications (Word, Excel, etc.)
Education Requirements:
- Bachelor’s Degree or Associate degree in Criminal Justice, Forensics, or related discipline
Experience Requirements:
- Minimum 6 months experience. Candidate must be confident in preparing, searching, retrieving, analyzing, comparing, and evaluating both Ten Print and latent fingerprints using both automated tools as well as manual methodologies to make a determination of fingerprint matches.
- MUST be able to work evening, weekend and/or holiday shifts if required
Desired Requirements:
- Active Public Trust clearance
- International Association for Identification Certification as a Ten Print Examiner
Location:
- San Diego, CA
Security Requirements:
- Position requires U.S. citizenship
- Must be able to obtain a Public Trust clearance
About Us:

AVER, LLC is a Data & Digital Transformation company that delivers exceptional client service with great people and transformative technology solutions to enable Government mission success. We provide customers with specialized technical skills and deep subject matter expertise focused on Homeland Security, Biometrics, Law Enforcement and Healthcare domains to meet the complex mission challenges today and tomorrow. We are a verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) that strives to provide a customer-centric experience building trusted partnerships with our clients and people.

AVER is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

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Post your job
There are a few common ways to find latent print examiners for your business:
- Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
- Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
Post your job online:
- Post your latent print examiner job on Zippia to find and recruit latent print examiner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
During your first interview to recruit latent print examiners, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new latent print examiner
Once you've found the latent print examiner candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.
It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.
Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new latent print examiner. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a latent print examiner?

There are different types of costs for hiring latent print examiners. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new latent print examiner employee.

You can expect to pay around $63,258 per year for a latent print examiner, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for latent print examiners in the US typically range between $18 and $49 an hour.

How to hire a latent print examiner