If you’re looking for the highest paying criminal justice jobs, you’re in luck! Criminal justice careers offer many opportunities for advancement and high salaries.
But what are the highest paying jobs in criminal justice? Depending on your degree level, different jobs will pay more than others. Criminal justice degrees can lead to various high-paying jobs, including a detective, FBI agent, or lawyer.
Here, we’ll look at some of the top-paying criminal justice careers. We will also discuss the skills and experience you need for these positions to decide your future!
Let’s get started!
What Careers Can You Get With a Criminal Justice Degree?
Criminal justice is a broad term that refers to the system of laws and law enforcement in place to prevent and punish crime. It encompasses everything from policing and corrections to forensics and victim services. To work in criminal justice, you need to understand the law and the criminal justice system.
Criminal justice careers require at least a bachelor’s degree in most cases. However, there are a few exceptions. For example, you can become a police officer with only a high school diploma or GED. And while most FBI agents have a college degree, there is no formal education requirement to work as a special agent.
That said, most criminal justice jobs do require a college degree. Criminal justice, law enforcement, forensic science, and psychology are the most common degrees. But there are also many other options, including degrees in sociology, political science, and public administration. There are many job opportunities for recent criminal justice degree graduates.
No matter what degree you choose, it’s essential to ensure the program is accredited. Accreditation means the school meets specific quality standards, and the government or a professional organization approves its curriculum. Proper accreditation is crucial for your education to be valid and to qualify you to apply for any of the highest paying criminal justice jobs listed in this article.
Required Skills for Criminal Justice Careers
There are many different skills that you can gain when studying criminal justice that are crucial if you’d like to land one of the highest paying criminal justice jobs. Some of these include:
Analytical Thinking Skills
One of the most important skills you can learn when studying criminal justice is analytical thinking. This skill involves breaking down a problem or situation into smaller parts and then analyzing each component separately to understand the whole better.
This skill is essential for detectives, forensic scientists, and other criminal justice professionals who need to assess a situation and figure out what happened quickly.
Critical Thinking Skills
Another essential skill that you can develop when studying criminal justice is critical thinking. This skill involves thinking logically and objectively about a situation and then coming to a conclusion based on the evidence. Critical thinking is essential for lawyers, judges, and other professionals who need to make decisions in difficult situations.
Communication Skills
One of the most important skills you can learn in any field is communication skills. Criminal justice professionals need to communicate effectively with others verbally and in writing.
This skill is essential for working with co-workers, investigating crimes, and testifying in court.
Problem-Solving Skills and Decision-Making Skills
Problem-solving is a crucial skill for criminal justice professionals. It involves being able to identify a problem and then come up with a plan of action to solve it.
Problem-solving skills are essential for detectives, forensic scientists, and other professionals to solve complex problems.
Decision-making is another essential skill for criminal justice professionals. It involves weighing the pros and cons of a situation and then deciding based on the evidence. Decision-making skills are essential for lawyers, judges, and other professionals who need to make quick decisions in difficult situations.
Leadership and Teamwork Skills
Leadership is a top skill for criminal justice professionals. This skill involves being able to guide and motivate others to achieve a common goal.
Leadership qualities are sought out for management, detective, and other professionals positions involving team leadership.
Teamwork skills are also necessary for criminal justice professionals. This skill involves being able to work cooperatively with others to achieve a common goal. Teamwork skills are essential for working with co-workers, investigating crimes, and testifying in court.
10 Highest Paying Criminal Justice Careers
As explained earlier, criminal justice is a vast and complex field. It encompasses a variety of careers, each with its unique salary range. This section will look at the ten highest paying criminal justice jobs and careers.
1. Lawyers
Average Annual Salary: $126,930 per year
Growth Rate: 9% (As fast as average)
Lawyers are the highest-paid professionals in criminal justice. Most of them have a four-year degree in law and many years of experience. Lawyers can work for the government, corporations, or individuals. They may specialize in a particular area of law, such as criminal law or family law.
Key responsibilities for lawyers include:
- Analyzing legal data
- Preparing legal arguments
- Representing clients in court
Education Requirements for Lawyers: Most lawyers have a four-year degree in law from an accredited law school. However, some states allow you to become a lawyer with only a three-year degree if you pass the bar exam.
Certification: All lawyers must pass the bar exam in the state where they want to practice law.
Necessary Skills: Strong analytical and writing skills, excellent communication skills, critical thinking skills
Career Path: Lawyers can work in various settings, including law firms, corporations, the government, or private practice. To advance, they may pursue a specialty or go into business.
2. Judges
Average Annual Salary: $124,200 per year
Growth Rate: 3% (Slower than average)
Judges are second on the list of highest-paid professionals in criminal justice. Most judges have a four-year degree in law and many years of experience. They preside over court proceedings, interpret the law, and make decisions on legal cases.
Key responsibilities for judges include:
- Hearing evidence and arguments
- Interpreting laws
- Making decisions on legal cases
Education Requirements for Judges: Most judges have a four-year degree in law from an accredited college or university. Many judges also have many years of legal experience.
Certification: Some states require judges to be certified or licensed.
Necessary Skills: Judges need excellent communication and critical thinking skills. They must be able to interpret laws and make decisions on legal cases. Judges must also be unbiased and fair when making rulings.
Career Path: Judges can work in various settings, including judging for a court of law, as a hearing officer, or as an arbitrator. They may also work in the private sector. To advance, they may pursue a specialty or move up the ranks in their organization.
3. Information Security Analyst
Average Annual Salary: $103,590 per year
Growth Rate: 33% (Much faster than average)
There’s never been a better time to become an information security analyst. With cybercrime on the rise, businesses are scrambling to protect their data and systems from hackers.
As an information security analyst, you’ll be responsible for implementing and managing security measures to protect against unauthorized access, theft, or damage to information.
Essential responsibilities include:
- Identifying and assessing vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks
- Developing and implementing security policies and procedures
- Conducting risk assessments
- Responding to security incidents
The demand for information security analysts is high, and the average salary is over $100,000. With a 33% growth rate, this is one of the fastest-growing careers in the country. This career could be perfect if you’re interested in protecting information and keeping people safe online.
Education Requirements: Information security analysts typically have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. Some employers may require a master’s degree.
Certification: The most common certification for information security analysts is the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification.
Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are essential, as is experience in computer security and networking. Knowledge of encryption, firewalls, and other security technologies is also helpful.
Career Path: After gaining experience as an information security analyst, you may be able to move into a role as a security manager or consultant. Alternatively, you could pursue a career in law enforcement or the military, where you would use your information security skills to protect against cyberattacks.
4. Psychologist
Average Annual Salary: $82,180 per year
Growth Rate: 8% (As fast as average)
If you’re looking for a challenging and rewarding career, consider becoming a psychologist. This profession will grow at an average rate of 8% over the next decade, meaning there will be plenty of job opportunities in the years to come.
In addition to being able to help people deal with various psychological issues, psychologists also earn a relatively high salary.
Some of the responsibilities of psychologists include:
- Diagnosing and treating mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders
- Providing counseling services
- Performing research on human behavior
Education Requirements: To become a psychologist, you’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology, followed by a master’s or doctoral degree in psychology or a background in criminal justice.
In the criminal justice field, many psychologists work as forensic psychologists. In this role, they help law enforcement officials and the court system understand the behavior of criminals. Forensic psychologists may also work with victims and witnesses to help them cope with the aftermath of a crime.
Certification: There’s no formal certification required to become a psychologist, but most states require you to be licensed. To obtain a license, you’ll need to complete an accredited graduate program and pass an exam administered by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Necessary Skills: To be successful as a psychologist, you’ll need strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills. You’ll also need to effectively communicate with people from all walks of life.
Career Path: After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, you can pursue a career as a psychologist by completing a master’s or doctoral program in psychology. Once you’ve obtained your license, you can start working as a psychologist in various settings, such as colleges and universities, hospitals, private practices, and government agencies.
5. Financial Examiners
Average Annual Salary: $81,430 per year
Growth Rate: 18% (Much faster than average)
The correlation between financial examiners isn’t a new one. Financial examiners aren’t just limited to the world’s largest stock exchange. They work in banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions all over the country.
What do they do? Financial examiners investigate cases of fraud and white-collar crime. They keep an eye on things to ensure that everyone is playing by the rules and that no one is taking advantage of the system.
It’s an important job, and it’s also growing rapidly. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the field to grow by 18% over the next decade. That means there will be plenty of opportunities for financial examiners in the years ahead.
Education Requirements: Financial examiners typically have a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field. Some universities offer degrees specialized to this field, such as forensic accounting. Some may also have an advanced degree in business administration or law.
Certification: Financial examiners can become certified through the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) or the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).
Skills Required: Financial examiners need to think critically and analyze financial data. They must also communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
Career Path: Financial examiners can work their way up the ladder in a financial institution. They may also become certified public accountants (CPAs) or certified fraud examiners (CFEs).
6. Police & Detectives
Average Annual Salary: $67,290 per year
Growth Rate: 7% (As fast as average)
Police officers and detectives keep our streets safe by enforcing the law and investigating crimes. They may work for a city, county, state, or federal government agency.
Education Requirements: Police officers must have a high school diploma or equivalent, and most detectives have a college degree.
Certification: Most states require police officers to be certified. Many detectives are certified by the National Association of Legal Investigators.
Necessary Skills: Police officers and detectives must be able to think quickly and make decisions in difficult situations. They must also have good communication and problem-solving skills.
Career Path: Police officers may move up the ranks to become detectives or supervisors. Some may also become special agents with the FBI or other federal law enforcement agencies.
7. Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary
Average Annual Salary: $64,600
Growth Rate: 9% (As fast as average)
Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary help equip students with the skills they need to pursue a career in law enforcement. They may teach courses on criminal law, criminology, and policing strategies. In addition to teaching, these professionals may also conduct research on issues related to law enforcement.
Their primary responsibilities are:
- Teaching criminal justice and law enforcement courses
- Researching law enforcement
- Advocating for their students
Education Requirements: Education requirements for this profession vary depending on the level of teaching they are doing. For example, a criminal justice and law enforcement teacher teaching at the high school level may only need a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related field.
However, those teaching at the postsecondary level typically need a master’s degree in criminal justice or a related field.
Certification: Postsecondary criminal justice and law enforcement teachers are not typically required to be certified.
Skills: To be successful as criminal justice and law enforcement teacher postsecondary, you should possess the following skills:
- Strong teaching skills
- Research skills
- Analytical skills
- Communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Organizational skills
Career Path: Most criminal justice and law enforcement teachers start their careers as police officers or detectives. After which, they may earn a master’s degree in criminal justice or a related field. After receiving their degree, they may become a criminal justice teacher at the postsecondary level.
8. Private Detectives and Investigators
Average Annual Salary: $53,320 per year
Growth Rate: 13% (Faster than average)
If you’re curious about what it’s like to work as a private detective or investigator, you’re not alone. These professionals play an essential role in helping companies and individuals gather information and solve crimes.
But what exactly do they do on a day-to-day basis? Private detectives and investigators typically do the following:
- Gather information about people or organizations
- Investigate crimes or conduct background checks
- Collect evidence
- Monitor individuals for suspected criminal activity
- Prepare reports
Private detectives and investigators’ work can be fascinating, but it can also be hazardous. It’s essential to have a strong sense of curiosity and stay calm under pressure.
Education Requirements: Private detectives and investigators typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. However, some positions may require a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Certification: Private detectives and investigators are not required to be certified. However, many choose to become certified through organizations such as the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI) or the National Council of Investigation and Security Services (NCISS).
Skills/Traits Needed: Some skills and traits that private detectives and investigators need include:
- Strong interviewing and interrogation skills
- Good research skills
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Strong attention to detail
- Good communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work independently
- Physical stamina
- Ability to stay calm under pressure
Career Path: There are many career paths that a private detective or investigator can take. They can work for a law enforcement agency or a private investigation firm, or they may choose to start their own business. Some investigators also work as security guards or bodyguards.
9. Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
Average Annual Salary: $47,660 per year
Growth Rate: 23% (Much faster than average)
Suppose you’re looking for a career that involves helping people, and you have a passion for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, or mental health counseling. In that case, this is the perfect career for you.
Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors play a vital role in helping people manage and overcome their problems. They provide support and guidance to their clients and work to help them restore their mental health and well-being.
Education Requirements: You will need a master's degree in counseling to become a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, or mental health counselor. However, you may be able to find work with a bachelor’s degree if you have some experience in the field.
Certification: You will need to become certified as a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, or mental health counselor through the National Board for Certified Counselors. This certification is recognized across the country, and it shows that you have met the high standards set by the board.
Skills: The skills you need for this career include excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to empathize with your clients. You must also be able to provide guidance and support and be patient and compassionate.
Career Path: There are many different career paths that you can pursue as substance abuse, behavioral disorder, or mental health counselor. You can work in a clinic, hospital, or private practice, or you may choose to work with a specific population such as children or the elderly. No matter which path you choose, you will have the opportunity to help people and make a difference in their lives.
10. Correctional Officers and Bailiffs
Average Annual Salary: $47,440 per year
Growth Rate: -7% (Decline)
Correctional officers and bailiffs play an essential role in the criminal justice system by guarding prisoners and maintaining order in detention facilities. They are responsible for the safety and security of both inmates and staff and ensuring that all rules and regulations are followed.
Despite the importance of their work, correctional officers and bailiffs have several factors working against them. For one, the job market for these professionals is expected to decline by 7% in the next decade. Additionally, their average annual salary is just $47,440, which can be tough to live on in expensive cities.
Nevertheless, correctional officers and bailiffs provide an essential service and play a critical role in the criminal justice system. They should be proud of the work they do and feel confident in their ability to impact their community positively.
Education Requirements: Correctional officers and bailiffs typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. However, some positions may require a college degree.
Certification: Many states require correctional officers to be certified by the National Corrections Training Institute (NCTI) or a similar organization.
Skills: Strong communication and problem-solving skills are essential for success in this field. Additionally, officers must be able to maintain control in difficult situations and deal with potentially dangerous individuals.
Career Path: Correctional officers and bailiffs can move up the ladder by becoming supervisors or managers. The federal government may also promote them to other law enforcement positions, such as detective or police officer.
Take the Next Step in your Criminal Justice Career Today!
These are the top 10 highest paying criminal justice jobs. Do any of them appeal to you? If so, now is the time to take the next step and learn more about what it takes to pursue these careers.
No matter which criminal justice career path you choose, make sure to get the appropriate education and certification to ensure that you are qualified for the job. And don’t forget to develop strong problem-solving and communication skills, which will be essential for success in this field.