Records Specialist Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Records specialist jobs in Tucson sit mostly in public safety and health care: police records units at the Tucson Police Department and the Pima County Sheriff, Arizona DPS criminal records, and health information teams at the Tucson VA and Tucson Medical Center. Openings are below.
Current Records Specialist Openings in Tucson, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Records Specialist Work in Tucson
Tucson's records jobs split into two worlds. On the public safety side, the Tucson Police Department, the Pima County Sheriff's Department, the University of Arizona Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety all run records units that enter police reports, run criminal history checks, answer subpoenas and redact reports before release. Those jobs use ACJIS, the Arizona criminal justice information system run by DPS, and new hires earn terminal operator certification on the job.
On the health care side, the Tucson VA Medical Center on South Sixth Avenue and Tucson Medical Center on Grant Road in midtown employ health information management teams that scan, index and release patient records under HIPAA. Public records work in Arizona follows A.R.S. 39-121, which opens public records to inspection, and the retention schedules issued by the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.
Top Tucson Employers Hiring Records Specialists
These Tucson employers have posted records roles, or list them on their own careers sites:
- Tucson Police Department - its recruiting site lists Police Records Specialist I as the entry level of the department's Police Records series.
- Pima County Sheriff's Department - hires Records Technicians for its central records facility, with Records Technician II listed at $20.10 to $23.62 an hour.
- Arizona Department of Public Safety - posted a Criminal Records Specialist in Tucson in 2026 at $41,484 to $55,006 a year.
- University of Arizona Police Department - its Records Management Assistant III enters report data, releases records and handles ACJIS work.
- Southern Arizona VA Health Care System - posted HIM File Clerk jobs in May and July 2026 and a Records and Information Management Specialist in September 2026.
- Tucson Medical Center - HIM Technician Associate and HIM Technician I roles index, scan and release patient records in Epic.
Records Specialist Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level (0-2 years): roughly $17 to $20 an hour.
- Experienced (2-5 years): roughly $20 to $24 an hour.
- Senior or specialist (5+ years): roughly $24 to $30 an hour, with federal records management specialist jobs posted at $76,095 to $98,928 a year.
These are estimates that vary by employer and experience. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put Tucson's file clerks at a mean of $19.71 an hour and other information and record clerks at $21.51 in May 2024. Recent Tucson postings ran from $17.34 an hour at the Arizona Department of Child Safety to $20.10 to $23.62 at the Sheriff's Department, and the VA's GS-4 file clerk paid $37,100 to $48,232 a year. Law enforcement agencies often add shift work on nights, weekends and holidays.
How to Become a Records Specialist in Tucson
Arizona has no license for records specialists. Most Tucson jobs start with a high school diploma or GED and some clerical experience: DPS asks for a year of clerical work with data entry, the VA for a year of office experience or two years of education after high school. Police records jobs add a background check, a polygraph and a drug screen, plus ACJIS terminal operator certification after hire. For health records, Pima Community College's Health Information Technology AAS is fully online and takes about two years full time, with an internship in the final semester. AHIMA's RHIT credential requires an associate degree from a CAHIIM-accredited program, so check accreditation before you enroll.
What the Job Involves
Records specialists receive, index, file and retrieve official records, enter data from reports, check copies against originals, answer records requests and subpoenas, redact what the law protects before release, and follow retention schedules so records are kept or destroyed on time.
Skills Employers Look For
- Accurate data entry and indexing
- Knowledge of public records and privacy rules, including HIPAA
- Redaction and release of information
- Records systems such as ACJIS or Epic
- Discretion with confidential and sensitive records
- Customer service for the public, attorneys and other agencies
Career Path and Advancement
In Tucson the ladder runs from records clerk or technician to senior technician and supervisor inside the same agency, as the Sheriff's Department's Records Technician I and II series shows. On the health side, a file clerk or HIM technician can earn an RHIT and move into coding, release of information leadership or records management, where the VA's GS-11 records management specialist sits.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the closest alternatives for records specialists:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license or certification to be a records specialist in Tucson?
No Arizona license exists for records specialists. Police records jobs require ACJIS terminal operator certification, which you earn after hire, and health records employers value the optional RHIT credential from AHIMA.
How much do records specialists make in Tucson?
BLS put Tucson file clerks at a mean of $19.71 an hour and other record clerks at $21.51 in May 2024. Posted Tucson pay runs from about $17 an hour at entry level to $23.62 at the Sheriff's Department, and federal records management specialists start above $76,000.
Do police records jobs in Tucson require a background check?
Yes. The Pima County Sheriff's Department requires a background check, polygraph and drug screen for civilian jobs, and the University of Arizona Police Department and DPS also require background checks with a polygraph.
What is the difference between police records and medical records work?
Police records specialists handle reports, criminal history checks and subpoenas in ACJIS and redact under Arizona public records law. Medical records specialists scan, index and release patient charts under HIPAA, often in Epic at hospitals such as Tucson Medical Center.
Where can you train for records work in Tucson?
Many jobs train on the job after a high school diploma and clerical experience. For health records, Pima Community College's Health Information Technology AAS is fully online, and its Medical Billing and Coding Certificate takes about eight months full time.
Ready to apply? Browse all records specialist jobs in Tucson, AZ on TucsonHIRED and apply today.