A criminal justice salary can range depending on many factors and considerations. Most criminal justice jobs salary ranges are competitive and typically come with strong benefits packages as well. One of the easiest ways to begin a career in criminal justice is to earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
What Kind of Criminal Justice Salary Can I Expect?
Those who are seeking post-secondary education often ask how much does a criminal justice degree make or what is a common bachelor of arts in criminal justice salary? According to data from the United States Department of Labor Statistics, the median criminal justice salary is $67,290 for police and detectives (one of the most common criminal justice jobs).
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The criminal justice jobs salary, however, will vary from job to job, and depending on the type of position or employer. Here is a brief look at some of the available opportunities for those who have earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice along with the correlating criminal justice salary per hour rates.
Government Occupations
A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice opens up opportunities in the field of protective services. These are a few of the criminal justice salary per hour rates for positions in protective service occupations per data from the U.S. Dept of Labor.
- Local Government Jobs: criminal justice salary per hour $30.86
- State Government Occupations: criminal justice salary per hour $ 29.37
- Federal Positions: criminal justice salary per hour $35.14
Facilities and Business Occupations
- Investigation / Security Services: criminal justice salary per hour $ 16.29
- Accounting, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Positions: criminal justice salary per hour $53.56
- Facilities Support Services: criminal justice salary per hour $21.33
- Natural Gas and Utilities Distribution: criminal justice salary per hour $46.69
- Postal Service: criminal justice salary per hour $39.42
The types of positions and jobs available for those with a criminal justice degree are varied and many, and it is also why there can be such a range in the differences between each criminal justice salary. Other factors, however, can also influence the kind of salary that can be expected with a bachelor’s in criminal justice.
One of the most common criminal justice jobs salary variations comes with one of the most common jobs for graduates of criminal degree bachelor’s programs. Law enforcement offers many various roles under the same category as law enforcement, yet these jobs can vary considerably when it comes to salary ranges.
What kind of criminal justice salary per hour is earned in roles as law enforcement can also be greatly influenced by the location of the job and the type of area it is in. Rural and smaller suburbs, for example, may not pay as much as officers working in major metropolitan areas. This can be partly attributed to the inherent dangers of working in certain areas in addition to the influence of the cost of living on different regions across the country.
What Kind of Salary Can I Expect with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice?
A career in criminal justice is a noble and worthwhile goal, and it can be a rewarding career. Those rewards though will depend on what type of criminal justice career is pursued and many other factors. While many who want to start a career in criminal justice are driven by more than a criminal justice salary, it still needs to be considered when investigating career options.
This final verdict for those seeking a career in criminal justice and who have concerns about a criminal justice salary is good news. Careers in criminal justice typically start at a solid median wage, and can easily provide above-average income with time and tenure. These jobs will vary, sometimes considerably, in earnings but every job in criminal justice offers the opportunity for a rewarding career.
Along with a solid and reliable income, a career and criminal justice salary package can provide more than financial rewards. Those who work in criminal justice also get the satisfaction of doing a job that matters and that can make a difference. Many careers in criminal justice also come with personal recognition and the respect that is deservedly given to those in roles like law enforcement.
Some benefits we can put a price on, others we can only value. Careers and a bachelor’s in criminal justice offers both benefits, those we can count in dollars and cents, and those we can only count. What kind of salary can you expect with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice? The truth is you will probably make about what you would expect, and a lot more.
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Top 10 Campus Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice
