The criminal justice field is highly adaptable, with plenty of opportunities for those seeking careers with a criminal justice degree.
That is to say it is possible to pivot experience in law enforcement into any number of other careers. This includes careers in security, in the courts, in corrections, in private investigative work, legal work and more. Likewise, it is possible to pivot from any of those career paths into any of the others.
This is why a criminal justice degree can be so valuable.
That said, some career paths are more obvious or linear than others. But the connections are there. Someone who has worked as a forensic science technician, for instance, may have some special insight that could help them in a career as a private detective. Or, time spent working security for a private corporation can lead to potentially lucrative contract work down the road.
Whatever the case, a criminal justice degree is an asset that can be put toward any number of career paths. And you shouldn’t think that you’re going to be locked into a single, limited field.
Here are five of the best careers with a criminal justice degree as of 2019:
Career with a Criminal Justice Degree No. 1: Police Officer
It’s the obvious choice, but it’s still a good one.
Whether or not you hope to make a lifelong career as a police officer, the experience that you gain here will prove invaluable in just about every other area of criminal justice.
As an officer you will learn how to work with a community and how to deal with the human element. Plus, you’ll a lot about constitutional law. Things like how to present a case in court… and how to handle the physical aspects of the job. If a judge, or a private detective, or a corrections officer, or a district attorney does it, a police officer does it in some form or fashion, too.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a police officer can expect to earn a median annual wage of around $61,150. Pay is a little higher in California, where the annual mean is actually in the hundred thousand dollars range.
While a criminal justice degree is not always required to apply for police work, a criminal justice major can bring quite a bit to the job that other candidates might not be able to offer.
Career with a Criminal Justice Degree No. 2: Private Detective
It should be noted that private detective work is rarely as exciting as it appears to be in movies. Private investigators don’t get to solve as many murders or museum heists as Humphrey Bogart did. And pretty much no one gets to drive a Ferrari around Hawaii like Thomas Magnum.
But if you have a knack for analytical problem-solving, or if you have a talent for digging up information for background checks and computer forensic work, then this is an area where you may excel.
Earning a private investigator’s license does not require a college education, but a bachelor’s in criminal justice can be very helpful in landing a permanent position as an in-house detective for technology companies and casinos.
And there is more opportunity here than there may at first appear.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics claims industry growth of 11% annually, and a median income of $50,700 per year, but there is quite a bit of disparity between the highest and lowest earning private detectives.
Career with a Criminal Justice Degree No. 3: Forensic Accounting
Obviously, you’ll need an accounting background as well as a criminal justice degree to work as a forensic accountant. That may be a deterrent for those who are not mathematically inclined.
However, for those with an inclination toward investigations and analysis, forensic accounting can be an interesting and rewarding job. Combining the challenges of criminal justice and accounting, you’ll be looking through financial records and paperwork for discrepancies, evidence of wrongdoing and crimes. Forensic accountants are usually the people who manage to uncover corporate conspiracies and political corruption.
And it’s lucrative as well.
The BLS puts the average income for a forensic accountant at $69,350 a year. This certainly fits the bill as a top career choice for those with a criminal justice degree.
Career with a Criminal Justice Degree No. 4: Forensic Psychologist
In most states, you’re going to need a psychology doctorate in order to attain a license to practice clinical psychology. Some states allow for provisions so that you can work in this field with only a master’s degree, but to really make the most of this career you’re going to eventually want to pursue a doctoral program.
Psychologists in criminal justice can help to profile and interview suspects, and may be enlisted in rehabilitation efforts, either on an individual or group basis, or helping to design and implement rehabilitation programs.
BLS statistics point to a median annual income of $77,030 for forensic psychologists.
Career with a Criminal Justice Degree No. 5: Security Director
In some states, you can become an entry-level security officer with little or no training at all. The job isn’t much different from taking on part-time work as a cashier or grocery store clerk.
The qualifications to do security work are not as demanding as some other areas of criminal justice as well.
However, it’s a difficult career path to get ahead in without some real experience and education behind you. Anyone who’s going to be put in charge of managing the security for an entire hotel, convention hall, casino or office building is probably going to be someone with a criminal justice degree and years of experience.
It’s something of a cliché that retired police officers often keep themselves busy by offering their services in security management. But this is one of those clichés with a bit of truth to it. The skills that a police officer learns on the beat can make them an invaluable asset to companies with serious security concerns. An intimate knowledge of constitutional law, detective work and dealing with suspects are all vital to the job.
Average income for security managers and directors varies from specialty to specialty. A casino security director can earn well over $100,000 a year. BLS numbers on this field are somewhat limited, given the non-uniform nature of the job. In fact, each industry seems to have its own term for “security director.” This makes it a little more difficult to identity broad patterns across the profession.
Those are our top five careers paths for those with a criminal justice degree as of 2019.
Hopefully now, choosing careers with a criminal justice degree won’t seem so difficult. Like we said before, a criminal justice degree – at the very least – can help someone get their foot inside the door of many organizations across the nation.
To learn more about law enforcement, the work involved, other careers with a criminal justice degree, and the people involved, be sure to download the latest episode of the CJEvolution podcast and sign up for our newsletter so you’ll never miss an update.
