Criminal Justice Salary

Your Criminal Justice Salary: Salaries Earned in CJ Careers

If you're considering a career in criminal justice, there are many options to choose from. In addition to becoming a police officer, you can also become a crime scene investigator, forensic psychologist, INS Agent, parole officer, or paralegal. Depending on where you live and your interests, you can earn a degree in criminal justice specializing in a certain field and begin working right after graduation. Some areas within the field do require additional training and schooling and these areas often provide a higher criminal justice salary.

Starting Your Career

A career in this area can be very rewarding. Not only will you help people in need, you will also help prevent accidents and other incidents from occurring. In order to work in many of the areas within the criminal justice field, you will have to complete a two or four year college degree program in criminal justice and receive additional training through specialized programs.

Once you're received training, you can begin looking for a job with local, state, or federal law enforcement departments. Many times, you will be given an entry level position and be expected to work your way up through promotions and special assignments. As your career progresses, your criminal justice salary will reflect these changes.

Salary Information

The criminal justice salary you earn depends on a number of factors including location, specialty, level of experience and training, and demand for those trained in specific areas of law enforcement. Below you will find a list of careers and the salary ranges to expect when you apply for a position with a law enforcement agency.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are typical criminal justice salary ranges:

• Police officer - $29,000-$49,000 annually (salary based on region, experience, and training)
• Crime Scene Investigator - $34,000-$92,000 annually (salary based on region, experience, and training)
• Forensic Psychologist - $33,000-$90,000 annually (salary based on region, experience, and training)
• Corrections Officer - $23,000-$58,000 annually (salary based on region, experience, and training)
• Paralegal - $27,000-$67,000 annually (salary based on region, experience, and training)
• Security Guard - $15,000-$35,000 annually (salary based on region, experience, and training)

There are many other fields worth considering when entering into a CJ program.

Choosing the Right Field

If you are unsure about which area to pursue within the field, you are not alone. Many already working in law enforcement receive on-the-job training that allows them to pursue different areas of CJ. Depending on what you want from your career, your criminal justice salary will change when you move from one specialized area to another.

Enrolling in a general program at an accredited college or university is a great way to learn more about your criminal justice salary options. Not only will you learn about the requirements needed to go into certain areas, you will also learn more about salaries and how they are determined. Keep in mind that as technology advances, new areas in law enforcement will open up, which will give you even more options to choose from.