Average Criminal Justice Salary
Compare Criminal Justice Jobs & Wages

How much is a criminology degree worth? Find out an average criminal justice salary for criminology jobs, like FBI agents, paralegals, probation officers & CSIs

Taking a look at criminal justice wages, you can see just how diverse the different criminology careers really are.

Some jobs, like security guards, only offer minimal wages for your hard work while others, like the chief pharmacist in a correctional institute, can earn upwards of $100,000.

What you make for a living in the criminal justice world entirely depends on what it is you want to do. If you want to work in the field, you can expect to make less than those in supervisory or management positions, but more than technicians or guards.

Below, we'll take a look at several criminal justice salary averages for various careers in each of those four categories.

Take a look at this list and get a better idea of what you may be in store for (at least as far as your pay check goes) if you decide to get one of the many criminal justice jobs available to you.

Average Criminal Justice Salary
For Careers in Criminology

Separated into categories of Legal, Corrections, Law Enforcement, and Forensics, here's a look at criminal justice and criminology salary averages across the nation:

A Paralegal and her Boss. Paralegals earn up to $80,000 per year

Legal System:

Paralegal Salary - Average $50,000 per year (some top earners make upwards of $80,000 a year)
Legal Secretary Salary - Average $40,000 annually (with top ten percent making more than $63,000 in a year)
Mediator Salary - Average nearly $60,000 (however, the top ten percent make well over $100,000 per year)
Court Reporter Salary - Average $50,000 per year (with the top ten percent making more than $83,000 annually)

Corrections:

Probation Officer Salary - Average $46,000 per year (top ten percent of earners make almost $80,000 a year)
Corrections Officer Salary - Average just under $40,000 per year (with the ability to make as much as $65,000 annually)
Correctional Institution Facility Captain Salary - Average $117,000 per year
Chief Pharmacist Salary - Average $105,000 a year

Law Enforcement:

Police Officer Salary - Average $51,000 per year (the top earners make nearly $80,000 per year)
DEA Agent Salary - Average close to $70,000 annually
FBI Salary- Average agent salary $65,000 per year (managemnt or supervisory positions can well exceed $100,000 a year)
Private Investigator Salary - Average $42,000 per year (the top ten percent make more than $76,000 annually)
Security Guard - Average $24,000 per year (highest tenth make nearly $40,000 a year)

Forensic Science:

Forensic Science Technician Salary - Average $53,000 per year (the top ten percent earn more than $80,000 per year)
Forensic Psychologist Salary - Average $52,000 per year (with excellent experience, salary can exceed $100,000 per year)

Do these salaries sound appealing to you? They sure do to us!

That's why we recommend so many people return to school & get a criminology degree online

Oh, did we mention these jobs come with great pension? No need to rely on the stock market for retirement!

Plus, they're stable, secure careers. What more could you ask for?

Find a School!

Think a career in criminology is for you?

Then start here & find a school for you!

How To Get a Criminal Justice Job

While it's true that criminal justice employees make more money than a lot of other people in the working world, they certainly don't get paid like movie stars or professional athletes.

If you want to work as an FBI agent, a criminologist, a paralegal, or forensic science technician, it has to be about more than just the money.

You have to really care about what you're doing, because your happiness and life's fulfillment certainly won't be found in the digits of your pay check (at least not until you've wriggled your way up the bureaucratic ladder).

Having one of the many, many criminal justice jobs is extraordinarily rewarding.