If you enjoy helping others and want to make a difference in your local communities, a degree in criminal justice may be the right fit for you. The criminal justice field can offer dozens of rewarding job opportunities in areas like crime prevention, victim advocacy, corrections and rehabilitation, and investigative work.
There are plenty of opportunities for growth or employment in this field as well. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in criminal justice are growing faster than average, and are expected to grow by about 5% from 2019 to 2029.
The potential careers and opportunities for graduates with criminal justice degrees will largely depend on the degree specialization they chose and the type of degree they pursued. For example, if you specialized in forensics, you may find a job as a forensic scientist after graduation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), forensic science technicians earn a median salary of $59,150 per year, with a 14% projected job growth rate from 2018-2028.
Ready to learn more about what you can do with a criminal justice degree? This guide covers some of the top criminal justice careers, including potential salaries, projected job growth, and common duties.
What Are The Best Jobs For Criminal Justice Majors in 2021? Here Are Our Top 10:
| Job | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Lawyer | $122,960 |
| Homeland Security | $77,000 |
| Homicide Detective | $74,380 |
| Forensic Accountant | $71,560 |
| Forensic Psychologist | $69,510 |
| Criminal Investigator | $67,170 |
| DEA Agent | $66,450 |
| Secret Service Agent | $65,000 |
| FBI Agent | $64,060 |
| Forensic Science Technician | $59,150 |
Sources:Bureau of Labor Statistics
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What Jobs Can You Get With a Criminal Justice Degree?
One of the most appealing aspects of working in criminal justice is the diversity of career options available. Criminal justice examines concepts in areas including criminology, psychology, and sociology. This interdisciplinary nature leads to careers in a variety of settings.
Graduates may pursue employment with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and law firms. They may also work privately and independently. Take a look at a few popular careers below.
Have Questions About a Criminal Justice Degree? We Have Answers.
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Comparing Popular Criminal Justice Jobs
Careers in criminal justice generally fall into three main branches: law enforcement, courts, and corrections/rehabilitation. Each of these branches features similarities and differences regarding job duties, salary expectations, required education/experience, and work conditions.
With so many options available, aspiring criminal justice professionals often find it difficult to decide which path to pursue. Use the tables below to compare key details across nine common criminal justice jobs.
Explore Other Criminal Justice Careers
Motivated criminal justice majors may select from dozens of other career options. Opportunities abound for graduates with secondary interests in areas like healthcare, conservation, youth services, forensic science, and anthropology.
Each career guide linked below covers common job duties, education requirements, and salary information.
How To Get a Job in Criminal Justice
Below, we explore a few universally applicable steps to securing a criminal justice career. The following sections cover the process of completing a criminal justice degree, gaining experience, and engaging in the job hunt.
It's important to note that your experience may not mirror these steps exactly. With so many different types of criminal justice jobs available, the requirements to enter the field vary.
Get a Criminal Justice Degree
Education requirements vary across the criminal justice field. Applicants may pursue some entry-level opportunities with just a high school diploma, provided they successfully complete training. Other areas of criminal justice maintain more extensive requirements for entry-level applicants, such as a certificate, associate, or bachelor's.
Education often impacts a criminal justice professional's salary and promotions. Years of experience also play a significant role, but individuals with college degrees typically earn higher incomes and enjoy increased opportunities for advancement.
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Gaining Experience
Many entry-level criminal justice jobs do not require candidates to demonstrate prior experience to apply. For beginning careers in policing and corrections, job candidates go through rigorous physical and course-based training programs to learn what they need to know. New police hires typically spend several months partnered with an experienced officer for additional on-the-job training.
Though employers may not explicitly require prior experience, motivated students aiming for a competitive resume can boost their qualifications by seeking out relevant opportunities in the years leading up to their criminal justice job hunt.
Many police departments welcome qualified civilian volunteers to increase departmental efficiency and improve public services. Similarly, local, state, and federal criminal justice agencies may offer a variety of internships for college students. Prospective criminal justice professionals benefit from any volunteer, internship, or employment experience that involves transferable skills like communication, independent decision-making, and conflict resolution.
The Criminal Justice Job Hunt
During and after college, criminal justice majors can pursue several different avenues in their job hunt. Students can take advantage of job fairs at school and in the local community, as well as internship opportunities, which may lead to employment after graduation. Criminal justice students and professionals can also join professional organizations, which often provide connections to job opportunities.
The following job boards provide extensive resources for job seekers:
Indeed
The world's largest job website, Indeed attracts more than 250 million monthly users. Users can search for criminal justice jobs by keyword, company, job title, and location, and filter results by salary estimate, experience level, and date posted.
LinkedIn
In the jobs section of the site, LinkedIn recommends listings based on user profiles. Professionals can also independently search for their next criminal justice career, access a resume builder, and view interview preparation resources.
GoLawEnforcement
The largest job board exclusively for law enforcement careers, GoLawEnforcement sees 4,000-6,000 visitors each day. Users can search open jobs by state, with results including local, state, and federal agencies.
USAJOBS
Criminal justice professionals can use the federal government's official jobs site to apply for positions like criminal investigator, correctional officer, detective, and drug abuse treatment specialist. Optional search filters include salary, department/agency, location, and security clearance.
What Career Growth Opportunities are Available in Criminal Justice?
Like most fields, criminal justice professionals typically achieve career growth through years of experience and additional education or certification. Examples of upward mobility in criminal justice include promotions from police officer to detective, police chief to college professor, and probation officer to supervisor.
Three high-level criminal justice jobs to consider include:
[icon_content icon="thumbprint-mag-glass"]Police Chief
Police chiefs hold the highest rank in a police department. These professionals oversee departmental training, hiring, and policy creation; manage the department budget; and address the public and media as needed. They earn a median salary of $72,677. This career requires a college degree and at least five years of experience.
[/icon_content][icon_content icon="scales"]Lawyer
Lawyers advise and represent clients in courts and other legal matters. In the criminal justice field, lawyers may work as prosecutors or defense attorneys. They earn a median salary of $122,960. This career requires a Juris Doctor degree and successful completion of the state bar exam.
[/icon_content][icon_content icon="apple-books"]Criminal Justice Professor
Criminal justice professors teach college-level courses on corrections, law enforcement administration, and other criminal justice concepts. Most professors also engage in advanced research. They earn a median salary of $79,540. This career requires several years of field experience and at least a master's degree.
[/icon_content]Best States for Careers in Criminal Justice
Alongside factors like education, experience, and job title, one's location can greatly impact salary and potential for upward mobility.
Larger population densities tend to correlate with higher crime rates, so major cities and high-population states tend to offer both the largest number of job openings and the highest wages. However, cost of living is an important factor as well. While California-based detectives take home larger paychecks than detectives in Utah, detectives in Utah enjoy lower costs of living.
In addition to income considerations, location also determines what types of criminal justice careers become available. Someone looking to work as a fish and game warden, for example, may find more opportunities in nonmetropolitan areas like Western Wyoming or the Texas Hill Country.
The following map and accompanying tables outline the highest-paying states for three popular criminal justice positions: police officer, private investigator, and substance abuse counselor.
Private Investigator: $57,140Substance Abuse Counselor: $43,060" alabama_link="/criminal-justice-schools/alabama/" alaska_tooltip="Police Officer: $87,870Private Investigator: $58,820Substance Abuse Counselor: $60,830" alaska_link="/criminal-justice-schools/alaska/" arizona_tooltip="Police Officer: $66,970Private Investigator: $54,830Substance Abuse Counselor: $45,100" arizona_link="/criminal-justice-schools/arizona/" arkansas_tooltip="Police Officer: $40,570Private Investigator: $55,720Substance Abuse Counselor: $55,260" arkansas_link="/criminal-justice-schools/arkansas/" california_tooltip="Police Officer: $105,220Private Investigator: $68,570Substance Abuse Counselor: $54,580" california_link="/criminal-justice-schools/california/" colorado_tooltip="Police Officer: $75,720Private Investigator: $53,670Substance Abuse Counselor: $51,790" colorado_link="/criminal-justice-schools/colorado/" connecticut_tooltip="Police Officer: $73,270Private Investigator: $58,010Substance Abuse Counselor: $55,530" connecticut_link="/criminal-justice-schools/connecticut/" delaware_tooltip="Police Officer: $73,740Private Investigator: $65,610Substance Abuse Counselor: $47,130" delaware_link="/criminal-justice-schools/delaware/" florida_tooltip="Police Officer: $60,720Private Investigator: $41,750Substance Abuse Counselor: $44,820" florida_link="/criminal-justice-schools/florida/" georgia_tooltip="Police Officer: $44,700Private Investigator: $52,630Substance Abuse Counselor: $47,050" georgia_link="/criminal-justice-schools/georgia/" hawaii_tooltip="Police Officer: $78,720Private Investigator: N/ASubstance Abuse Counselor: $55,300" hawaii_link="/criminal-justice-schools/hawaii/" idaho_tooltip="Police Officer: $54,120Private Investigator: $60,130Substance Abuse Counselor: $48,160" idaho_link="/criminal-justice-schools/idaho/" illinois_tooltip="Police Officer: $78,350Private Investigator: $58,710Substance Abuse Counselor: $47,320" illinois_link="/criminal-justice-schools/illinois/" indiana_tooltip="Police Officer: $56,780Private Investigator: $42,430Substance Abuse Counselor: $45,860" indiana_link="/criminal-justice-schools/indiana/" iowa_tooltip="Police Officer: $59,730Private Investigator: N/ASubstance Abuse Counselor: $53,830" iowa_link="/criminal-justice-schools/iowa/" kansas_tooltip="Police Officer: $49,910Private Investigator: $55,380Substance Abuse Counselor: $44,850" kansas_link="/criminal-justice-schools/kansas/" kentucky_tooltip="Police Officer: $46,720Private Investigator: $51,050Substance Abuse Counselor: $41,940" kentucky_link="/criminal-justice-schools/kentucky/" louisiana_tooltip="Police Officer: $42,470Private Investigator: $49,270Substance Abuse Counselor: $40,410" louisiana_link="/criminal-justice-schools/louisiana/" maine_tooltip="Police Officer: $53,170Private Investigator: $53,080Substance Abuse Counselor: $54,800" maine_link="/criminal-justice-schools/maine/" maryland_tooltip="Police Officer: $71,170Private Investigator: $61,730Substance Abuse Counselor: $49,550" maryland_link="/criminal-justice-schools/maryland/" massachusetts_tooltip="Police Officer: $72,400Private Investigator: $52,140Substance Abuse Counselor: $47,530" massachusetts_link="/criminal-justice-schools/massachusetts/" michigan_tooltip="Police Officer: $58,770Private Investigator: $48,040Substance Abuse Counselor: $48,580" michigan_link="/criminal-justice-schools/michigan/" minnesota_tooltip="Police Officer: $71,840Private Investigator: N/ASubstance Abuse Counselor: $51,260" minnesota_link="/criminal-justice-schools/minnesota/" mississippi_tooltip="Police Officer: $36,290Private Investigator: $54,350Substance Abuse Counselor: $37,170" mississippi_link="/criminal-justice-schools/mississippi/" missouri_tooltip="Police Officer: $51,860Private Investigator: $60,890Substance Abuse Counselor: $38,790" missouri_link="/criminal-justice-schools/missouri/" montana_tooltip="Police Officer: $56,710Private Investigator: N/ASubstance Abuse Counselor: $42,770" montana_link="/criminal-justice-schools/montana/" nebraska_tooltip="Police Officer: $58,860Private Investigator: $45,040Substance Abuse Counselor: $51,820" nebraska_link="/criminal-justice-schools/nebraska/" nevada_tooltip="Police Officer: $73,660Private Investigator: $64,200Substance Abuse Counselor: $63,910" nevada_link="/criminal-justice-schools/nevada/" new_hampshire_tooltip="Police Officer: $58,820Private Investigator: $58,110Substance Abuse Counselor: $44,870" new_hampshire_link="/criminal-justice-schools/new-hampshire/" new_jersey_tooltip="Police Officer: $86,840Private Investigator: $63,970Substance Abuse Counselor: $60,120" new_jersey_link="/criminal-justice-schools/new-jersey/" new_mexico_tooltip="Police Officer: $53,750Private Investigator: $57,200Substance Abuse Counselor: $50,430" new_mexico_link="/criminal-justice-schools/new-mexico/" new_york_tooltip="Police Officer: $77,490Private Investigator: $59,100Substance Abuse Counselor: $54,280" new_york_link="/criminal-justice-schools/new-york/" north_carolina_tooltip="Police Officer: $47,340Private Investigator: $52,530Substance Abuse Counselor: $49,350" north_carolina_link="/criminal-justice-schools/north-carolina/" north_dakota_tooltip="Police Officer: $58,770Private Investigator: N/ASubstance Abuse Counselor: $55,860" north_dakota_link="/criminal-justice-schools/north-dakota/" ohio_tooltip="Police Officer: $62,880Private Investigator: $49,470Substance Abuse Counselor: $50,020" ohio_link="/criminal-justice-schools/ohio/" oklahoma_tooltip="Police Officer: $48,060Private Investigator: $44,180Substance Abuse Counselor: $47,510" oklahoma_link="/criminal-justice-schools/oklahoma/" oregon_tooltip="Police Officer: $73,300Private Investigator: $57,380Substance Abuse Counselor: $60,970" oregon_link="/criminal-justice-schools/oregon/" pennsylvania_tooltip="Police Officer: $68,940Private Investigator: $47,940Substance Abuse Counselor: $47,480" pennsylvania_link="/criminal-justice-schools/pennsylvania/" rhode_island_tooltip="Police Officer: $63,390Private Investigator: $58,900Substance Abuse Counselor: $54,870" rhode_island_link="/criminal-justice-schools/rhode-island/" south_carolina_tooltip="Police Officer: $43,520Private Investigator: $54,410Substance Abuse Counselor: $41,620" south_carolina_link="/criminal-justice-schools/south-carolina/" south_dakota_tooltip="Police Officer: $49,690Private Investigator: $46,200Substance Abuse Counselor: $42,670" south_dakota_link="/criminal-justice-schools/south-dakota/" tennessee_tooltip="Police Officer: $45,370Private Investigator: $57,960Substance Abuse Counselor: $39,510" tennessee_link="/criminal-justice-schools/tennessee/" texas_tooltip="Police Officer: $63,740Private Investigator: $56,190Substance Abuse Counselor: $49,330" texas_link="/criminal-justice-schools/texas/" utah_tooltip="Police Officer: $56,170Private Investigator: $64,440Substance Abuse Counselor: $67,410" utah_link="/criminal-justice-schools/utah/" vermont_tooltip="Police Officer: $53,070Private Investigator: N/ASubstance Abuse Counselor: $44,970" vermont_link="/criminal-justice-schools/vermont/" virginia_tooltip="Police Officer: $58,330Private Investigator: $55,610Substance Abuse Counselor: $51,610" virginia_link="/criminal-justice-schools/virginia/" washington_tooltip="Police Officer: $80,200Private Investigator: $63,750Substance Abuse Counselor: $52,200" washington_link="/criminal-justice-schools/washington/" washington_dc_tooltip="Police Officer: $76,680Private Investigator: $69,790Substance Abuse Counselor: $54,640" washington_dc_link="/criminal-justice-schools/washington-d-c/" west_virginia_tooltip="Police Officer: $44,450Private Investigator: N/ASubstance Abuse Counselor: $40,140" west_virginia_link="/criminal-justice-schools/west-virginia/" wisconsin_tooltip="Police Officer: $63,970Private Investigator: $44,480Substance Abuse Counselor: $44,170" wisconsin_link="/criminal-justice-schools/wisconsin/" wyoming_tooltip="Police Officer: $56,120Private Investigator: N/ASubstance Abuse Counselor: $53,990" wyoming_link="/criminal-justice-schools/wyoming/"]
Source: BLS
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Where Can You Earn a Criminal Justice Degree?
You can earn a criminal justice degree online or in-person at most colleges or universities. Criminal justice degrees are offered at the associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. While associate's degree programs only take about two years to complete, these types of degree programs are typically offered at community colleges. On the other hand, bachelor's degree programs are offered at both public and private four-year colleges and universities. Graduate degrees in criminal justice are offered at several public and private colleges and universities as well.
Can You Earn a Degree in Criminal Justice Online?
Yes, you can earn a degree in criminal justice online. In fact, many schools offer the option to earn a criminal justice degree online, whether your goal is to get an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in this field. Online degrees can be a great choice for students who thrive in an online format or for those work or life schedules won't allow for in-person learning. Want to learn more about your online school options? Check out thetop 15 online criminal degree programs.
