Prospects & Salaries In Criminal Justice Careers

Criminal justice careers in the courts for bailiffs, court clerks, victim advocates and other job titles are also still widely available, since the courts remain busy. At law firms, the story is a bit more varied. Aspiring paralegals and attorneys will find that some of the more glamorous areas of law, especially those involving business transactions, have become less inviting. Some divorce lawyers, for example, report that their business is down because assets like homes and stock portfolios are now so low that no one can hope for a big divorce settlement. In the big picture, however, criminal justice, like healthcare, is still a fairly recession-proof category.

A Degree Is Key
A slower economy has given courts, police forces and law firms an opportunity to be more picky about who they hire. That’s made it more important to have a degree to make yourself an attractive candidate. Even before the recession, though, degrees were becoming more and more important due to a growing need for criminal justice experts who have an up-to-date understanding of technology.

Both the police and the criminals they pursue have gotten smarter about using the internet, wireless and other cutting-edge technologies. And while a police officer, a paralegal, court officer or attorney will always need strong interpersonal skills, the way information is used and shared in all these specialties is changing rapidly. It’s created a new world of legal issues, investigative techniques and online communication needs that a law expert from just 10 years ago wouldn’t recognize.

The Long Term
Besides getting you hired into a first job, an associates or bachelors degree can give you more choices as you move forward in a criminal justice career. College-level study provides you with a background in the “big picture” issues of what causes criminal behavior and how our society can control and prevent it. Down the road, having a background that includes law, public administration and urban issues, political science, psychology, sociology and even philosophy can help you move into a more senior position, whether you work in the courts, law enforcement or in a federal law agency.

Criminal justice careers can offer more than a paycheck. Many officers and agents pursue this type of work because they get tremendous personal satisfaction from helping to keep the public safe. A few key attributes that are important in the criminal justice field include being physically fit (in law enforcement jobs), being able to make calm, informed decisions under pressure, an ability to handle people, having a sense of responsibility and being able to show self-restraint. It’s important to keep in mind that members of the public depend on criminal justice experts to do the right thing in tough or even frightening circumstances.

Salaries you can earn in law enforcement or criminal justice careers vary widely. Government agencies in particular have many pay grades you can move up to based on experience or advanced study. Here’s an overview of criminal justice careers and the duties that go with them, as well as average salaries in law practice, police work, corrections, court jobs and public or private security:

PUBLIC SECURITY & ENFORCEMENT: Federal Jobs
ATF agents:
Work for Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau, an agency of the U.S. Treasury. Regulate possession and use of alcohol tobacco and firearms, and sometimes conduct searches or even raids of businesses suspected of illegal transactions.
Salary Range: $32,000 - $50,000

Customs Agent
Job is mainly focused on checking luggage and shipping items being brought into the U.S. by visitors. Customs agents may sometimes arrest and question a suspect. Work is often done in airport environments.
Salary range: $23,000 - $45,000.

U.S. Marshal
Marshals work for the Justice Department, and do everything from protect judges and witnesses to being in charge of assets seized under criminal investigations. This job can sometimes put you in very stressful and dangerous situations.
Salary Range: Entry-level positions pay $27,000 or more, while experienced marshals who reach what’s called “GS II Grade” earn $50,000. It’s possible to earn more depending on where the Marshal is stationed and cost of living raises.

DEA Agent
Employed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA agents work to enforce laws that govern the sale and distribution of illegal drugs. A bachelor degree, preferably in criminal justice, is a requirement for this job. DEA agents often conduct surveillance of drug agents in dangerous areas and do criminal investigations. After being hired, new agents also receive specialized training at the DEA’s academy on Quantico, Virginia.
Salary Range: $35,000 - $65,000.

FBI Agent
Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations are at the higher end of federal law enforcement. FBI agents investigate crimes in a wide variety of categories from white collar crime to terrorism, fraud, organized crime and even cyber security. Agents often travel to interview suspects, and work with other enforcement agencies. This can be an intense job, which can involve working in dangerous situations. A criminal justice degree is virtually a must to be hired by the FBI.
Salary Range: Starting recruits earn more than $50,000, and can quickly earn raises after they graduate from the agency’s training program.

PRIVATE SECURITY
Private Security Guard
This job category covers everything from being a building guard to running a large security force for a mall or a large company. Higher paying jobs will require an associates or bachelors degree in criminal justice or law enforcement. Surveillance techniques are a key part of private security, along with a knowledge of terrorism, business security and corrections. Private security guards may carry weapons.
Salary Range: A wide range from under $35,000 to as high at $96,000 for security directors for large corporations or individual security guards for high net worth individuals or celebrities. Private security specialists in the banking and financial category are among the most highly compensated.

Private Detective
Many private detectives are self-employed, which means that their earnings depend on their ability to build up a clientele.
Salary Range: Entry level jobs in this area pay around $20,000, though the national average for a private detective is $40,133. according to salary.com.

COURT JOBS

Court Clerk
Court clerks work on all the administrative jobs in the court – proofreading documents, mailing letters and helping to schedule appointments and hearings. This position does not necessarily require a criminal justice degree.
Salary Range: National average is about $27,000. More experienced court clerks can earn more.

Probation Officer
Probation officers are employees of a court system generally, who oversee the activities of a “client,” a person on parole, and communicate about it with lawyers, judges, employees and even family members. It’s a specialty that many candidates go into after getting some previous experience in corrections or psychology.
Salary Range: Entry level jobs pay an average of $25,000, while experienced probation officers generally earn about $40,000. Supervisors who oversee large departments can earn closer to $100,000., but only with significant experience.

CORRECTIONS
Corrections Officer
Work in prisons and detention centers, and are sometimes in charge of transporting prisoners to court. In the prison environment, corrections officers oversee all aspects of the prisoner’s lives. The work environment is tough. An associates in criminal justice degree is helpful in gaining an entry level job here.
Salary Range: About $25,000 nationally; can be higher in some geographic areas.

POLICE / LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREERS
Crime Scene Investigator
A specialty that involves evaluating crime scenes and doing reports that help the police decide which suspects to seek out and interview and other follow up activities. Crime scene investigators need to have a very high level understanding of proper procedures in investigating a crime scene, as they can have a big effect on the court case that follows any crime. Many candidates are already police officers who get training to advance into this specialty, though it is possible to go directly into it with a criminal justice degree.
Salary Range: $20,000 to $50,000, depending on whether you work for a small or large police organization.

Forensic Scientist
Forensic scientists work in crime labs and normally have a fairly settled, 40 hour-a-week schedule. They conduct analysis of DNA, bullets, hair samples, weapons and other evidence involved in crimes. Employment is either from federal or city police organizations.
Salary Range: Entry level jobs pay about $30,000, while salaries for more senior scientists can top $45,000.

Police Officer
Police officers work across a wide variety of local, regional and federal departments. Although it’s still possible to be hired as an officer in a small town police department with only a high school diploma and a training program certificate, the better paying jobs in large departments usually require an associates or even a bachelors degree. In addition to doing patrols, arresting criminals, interviewing witnesses and other basic police jobs, police officers need to work with lawyers and enforcement officials in other agencies.
Salary Range: Depending on the department and the locality, salaries can vary all the way from about $30,000 for a new recruit to over $90,000 for a supervisor or other high level police officer. Campus police officers hired by colleges and universities generally earn about $40,000.

LEGAL PRACTICE
Attorney
In addition to a bachelor degree, you’ll need to go to law school and pass a bar exam to practice as an attorney. Not all lawyers have a criminal justice degree. Many, in fact, take a broader liberal arts course of study in college like English or Sociology. Almost all lawyers practice in a particular specialty like personal damages, divorce law, patent & trademark law, real estate, contracts or tax law. Each of these requires a different type of skill set. Generally, though, it’s true that the litigators who argue cases in court (which could include criminal cases or divorces) tend to be more charismatic than the lawyers who work in research-heavy specialties like patents & trademarks.
Salary Range: Run in a very wide range. Entry level lawyers in a big practice may earn $40,000 or more, while some “star” attorneys earn more than a million dollars per year. Federal agency lawyers earn anywhere from $50,000 to $120,000. Criminal law is a natural career path for someone with a bachelor in criminal justice.

Paralegal
A paralegal will research cases to help prepare a lawyer to argue a case in court, file appropriate motions or write a brief. Many paralegals are bachelors degree holders who are working in a law firm for a time before going into law school, while others simply plan to have a career as a paralegal. It’s possible to get this job without a criminal justice degree, but most firms like to hire candidates who have at least an associate’s degree. Salary Range: From $22,000 for an entry level paralegal to over $60,000 for a private firm or federal department paralegal. A survey by Special Counsel in Philadelphia, a national legal staffing service found that the national average for a paralegal was $52,979 in 2007.