20 Criminal Justice Jobs You Can Get With a Degree
Updated September 25, 2026
A criminal justice degree leads to a lot more than a badge. Forensic psychologists, cybersecurity analysts, correctional officers, and federal investigators all draw from the same pool of graduates. Below are 20 real career paths, each with a May 2025 BLS wage figure where one applies, the schooling it typically takes, and what the job actually asks of you day to day.
Most people picture the same three jobs when they hear “criminal justice degree”: police officer, private investigator, correctional officer. Those are real paths, and they’re on this list. But the degree also feeds into psychology, accounting, nursing, IT security, and a handful of federal roles most people have never heard of. Here are 10 of the most common jobs, followed by 10 that don’t come up nearly as often.
10 Popular Jobs in Criminal Justice
These are the roles most criminal justice graduates land in first, or use as a stepping stone toward something more specialized.
Forensic Psychologist
Forensic psychologists evaluate suspects, witnesses, and victims, and testify in court about what they find. It’s clinical psychology work with a legal deadline attached: reports have to hold up under cross-examination, not just clinical review. BLS doesn’t publish a standalone forensic-psychologist wage line; the closest available figure is clinical and counseling psychologists, at a May 2025 median of $100,580 with the top 10% at $180,960, and 6% projected growth for psychologists overall from 2025 to 2035. Nearly all of these roles require a doctorate, though the exact licensure path, including supervised-experience hours, is set state by state.
One case worth knowing: forensic psychologists’ evaluations played a real role in the Ted Bundy trial, where the court found him competent to stand trial despite his defense team’s objections.
Mental Health Counselor
Mental health counselors work with people who’ve been through trauma, including crime victims, offenders, and sometimes the officers who responded to the scene. Requirements vary by state, but most positions call for a master’s degree and a supervised internship, and some states require a license to practice independently. We don’t have a wage figure for this occupation in the source files we use for this site, so no salary number here for now.
After Hurricane Katrina, mental health counselors reportedly made up the largest group of responders among mental health professionals, and many worked without pay in the aftermath.
Private Investigator
Private investigators run surveillance, dig through financial and public records, and track down people, evidence, or answers for civil and criminal cases. Most work independently or get hired by law firms and insurance companies. Most states require licensing, and a background in law enforcement or the military tends to open doors faster than a degree alone. We don’t have a wage figure for this specific occupation in the source files we use for this site, so no salary number here for now.
The job produces some strange stories. Investigators have described being hired to follow people who turned out to be following someone else, and even one memorable case of a client wanting a PI to track her own cat’s daily movements.
Security Manager
Security managers assess risk and build policy to prevent break-ins, theft, and other threats to a business or organization. The job increasingly overlaps with IT: a modern security manager works alongside network administrators as much as with guards on the floor. This role doesn’t have its own BLS occupation code, so we’re skipping a salary figure rather than borrowing one from a related job that doesn’t quite fit. Most employers look for a bachelor’s degree plus several years in security or law enforcement.
Forensic Accountant
Forensic accountants dig through financial records tied to civil and criminal cases, hunting for money laundering, tax evasion, and fraud. It’s accounting with an investigative edge: the numbers have to tell a story a jury can follow. As of May 2025, BLS lists the median accountant and auditor salary at $83,680, with the top 10% earning $144,090, and projects 5% growth from 2025 to 2035. A bachelor’s in accounting is the baseline; CPA licensure, set by each state’s board of accountancy, may improve job prospects for forensic-accounting roles specifically.
The Bernie Madoff and Jordan Belfort cases are the ones most people know, and both took years of forensic accounting work after conviction just to trace and recover victims’ money.
Forensic Science Technician
Forensic science technicians collect and analyze physical evidence, some in the field at crime scenes and some in a lab running chemical or biological tests. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $72,060, with the top 10% at $117,250, and this occupation is projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, as more agencies lean on physical evidence to make cases. A bachelor’s degree in a natural or forensic science is the standard entry point.
Police Officer
Police officers patrol, respond to calls, and build the relationships that keep a community from turning every interaction into a confrontation. Education and academy requirements vary by state and by agency, from a high school diploma up through a bachelor’s degree, and a degree raises starting pay at many departments and is required for the FBI. BLS puts the May 2025 median at $76,210, with the top 10% earning $115,120, and projects 3% growth for police and detectives overall from 2025 to 2035.
Women made up about 14% of full-time sworn officers at local police departments and sheriffs’ offices as of 2020, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, up from roughly 12.4% at local departments and 6.9% at primary state agencies in 2018.
Forensic Nurse
Forensic nurses treat victims of assault, abuse, and violent crime, and collect evidence in a way that holds up in court. It’s nursing plus courtroom testimony, and it requires a steady hand with people who are having the worst day of their lives. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $97,550 for registered nurses generally, with the top 10% at $137,470, and projects 6% growth from 2025 to 2035. Entry routes include a bachelor’s, an associate degree, or an approved diploma program, all followed by state RN licensure; forensic (SANE) certification requirements vary by employer and jurisdiction rather than being universally required.
Alternate Light Source technology, which reveals bruising and biological evidence invisible to the naked eye, has become a standard tool for this specialty.
Criminal Justice Teacher
Criminal justice and law enforcement instructors, mostly at the college level, train the next generation of officers, attorneys, and analysts. As of May 2025, BLS lists a median of $76,590 for this role, with the top 10% at $140,240; postsecondary teaching overall is projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035. A doctorate is the norm for a tenure-track position, though community colleges sometimes hire with a master’s and field experience.
At least one well-known criminology professor has taught from direct experience: Stephan C. Richards, who spent time incarcerated before becoming a professor at Northern Kentucky University, has argued that former offenders bring insight the classroom can’t otherwise teach.
Correctional Officer
Correctional officers supervise people in jails and prisons, and they’re usually the first to spot a fight, an escape plan, or someone in crisis. Entry requirements vary by state and agency; many hire with a high school diploma plus academy training, while some federal positions require a bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience. BLS lists a May 2025 median of $58,940, with the top 10% at $93,220; nationally, this occupation is projected to decline 7% from 2025 to 2035 as states shift toward lower incarceration rates, though turnover still opens roughly 30,000 positions a year.
In December 1962, John Paul Scott escaped Alcatraz and reached the mainland near Fort Point, where he was found suffering from hypothermia and returned to custody.
10 Lesser-Known Jobs in Criminal Justice
These roles don’t come up in career-day presentations as often, but they hire from the same degree pool and, in a few cases, pay just as well.
Customs and Import Specialist
Customs officers check visas, inspect cargo, and enforce import law at U.S. points of entry. BLS groups this role with several other federal investigative titles under Detectives and Criminal Investigators; the May 2025 median of $93,790 (top 10%: $160,540) and the 3% growth projected for police and detectives through 2035 describe that broader occupational category, not a measured figure for customs officers specifically. Hiring standards, background checks, and physical requirements are set agency by agency, so check with CBP directly.
Crime Victims Service Coordinator
Victim advocates connect crime victims and their families with counseling, legal information, and other resources, and sometimes represent juveniles in court. BLS doesn’t track this title on its own; the closest available proxy is Social Workers, All Other, at a May 2025 median of $71,900 (top 10%: $115,610), with roughly 4% growth projected from 2024 to 2034. A bachelor’s in criminal justice, sociology, or psychology, plus experience in human services, is the typical path in.
Loss Prevention Specialist
Loss prevention specialists work retail security, building anti-theft policy and catching internal and external theft before it walks out the door. Retail theft was estimated at roughly $48.9 billion industry-wide in a 2017 report, a figure that’s almost certainly higher now given inflation and the growth of organized retail crime. BLS lists a May 2025 median of $38,020 for security guards broadly, with the top 10% at $58,840, and projects 1% growth from 2025 to 2035. A high school diploma covers entry-level roles; management track usually wants a bachelor’s.
Postal Inspector
Postal inspectors investigate mail-related federal crimes, everything from fraud schemes to threats sent through the mail. Like customs agents, this role shares the Detectives and Criminal Investigators wage line ($93,790 median, 3% projected growth for the broader category) rather than having its own measured figure. USPIS hiring runs through several eligibility tracks, including academic achievement, postal experience, specialized skills, and language ability, rather than a single required degree path.
Diplomatic Security Agent
Diplomatic security agents protect U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities, both domestically and at embassies abroad. Same wage grouping as the two roles above: $93,790 median, $160,540 at the top 10%, tied to the broader detectives and investigators category rather than a measured figure for this role alone. The State Department requires at least a bachelor’s degree and passing the Diplomatic Security Special Agent Test, with qualifying work experience or academic achievement able to substitute in some cases; the age cutoff is appointment before the month you turn 37, with an exception for preference-eligible veterans.
Fish and Game Warden
Fish and game wardens patrol for hunting and fishing violations, investigate wildlife crimes, and work independently more than most law enforcement roles. BLS puts the May 2025 median at $74,060, with the top 10% at $100,980; this is one of the few occupations on this list where employment is actually shrinking, projected to decline nearly 6% from 2025 to 2035 as state agencies consolidate patrol territory. A bachelor’s degree, often in a natural resources field, is standard.
Cybersecurity Analyst
Cybersecurity analysts protect networks, run security tests, and respond when something gets breached. BLS categorizes this role as an information security analyst, reporting a May 2025 median of $129,180, with the top 10% at $199,850, and this is the fastest-growing job on the whole list: 21% projected growth from 2025 to 2035, driven by the steady rise in attempted breaches. A bachelor’s in computer science or a related field is the entry point, and certifications carry real weight in hiring.
Mediator
Mediators help disputing parties reach an agreement without going to trial, which makes the job equal parts listening skill and legal knowledge. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $75,530, with the top 10% at $155,440, and projects 5% growth from 2025 to 2035, about average. At least a bachelor’s degree plus related experience is typical, though certification and qualification standards aren’t nationally uniform; they vary by state, court, and program.
Bloodstain Pattern Analyst
Bloodstain pattern analysts read blood patterns at a crime scene to help reconstruct what happened, then testify to their findings in court. This is a specialization within forensic science rather than its own BLS occupation, so we won’t attach a separate salary figure here; see the Forensic Science Technician entry above for the closest available wage data. Training follows recognized standards such as ANSI/ASB Standard 032, and certification is available through bodies like the IAI, but requirements aren’t a single nationwide licensing regime, they vary by employer and jurisdiction.
Fire Inspector and Investigator
Fire inspectors check buildings for code violations before something goes wrong; fire investigators show up after a fire to figure out what caused it, including whether it was arson. Certification requirements vary by state rather than following one universal standard. We don’t have a wage figure for this occupation in the source files we use for this site, so no salary number here for now. Most fire investigators come up through firefighting first, entering with a high school diploma and years of on-the-job experience rather than a specific degree.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can you do with a criminal justice degree besides police work?
Quite a lot. The degree feeds directly into forensic science, corrections, federal investigative agencies, private security, victim advocacy, and postsecondary teaching. It also pairs well with a second credential: add a nursing degree and you can work forensic nursing, add an accounting background and forensic accounting opens up, add a computer science degree and cybersecurity is on the table.
Which criminal justice jobs pay the most?
Among the roles here with a sourced BLS figure, cybersecurity analyst leads by a wide margin at a May 2025 median of $129,180, followed by clinical and counseling psychologists ($100,580, the closest available proxy for forensic psychology) and registered nurses ($97,550, the proxy for forensic nursing). Customs, postal inspection, and diplomatic security agents all fall under BLS’s broader detectives and investigators category, with a $93,790 median for that group rather than a figure specific to any one of the three. On the other end, security guard roles, the proxy for loss prevention, sit closer to $38,000.
Do you need a graduate degree for a criminal justice career?
Not usually. Police officer and correctional officer requirements vary by agency but generally start at a high school diploma plus academy training. Forensic psychologist and criminal justice professor are the clear exceptions on this list, both typically requiring a doctorate. Forensic accountant, cybersecurity analyst, and forensic nurse sit in between, needing a bachelor’s degree with room to add certifications later.
Is the criminal justice field growing?
It depends heavily on which job you mean. Cybersecurity analyst (21% projected growth through 2035) and forensic science technician (13%) are both expanding fast. Police officer growth is roughly flat at 3%. Correctional officer and fish and game warden are both shrinking, projected to decline as states adjust staffing and incarceration levels. It’s worth checking the specific role rather than assuming “criminal justice” moves as one block.
Key Takeaways
- The degree goes further than patrol duty. Twenty distinct careers pull from criminal justice programs, spanning psychology, IT, accounting, and nursing.
- Some titles ride on a broader BLS category, not their own line. Forensic psychologist, forensic nurse, victim advocate, and the three federal investigative roles all use the closest available occupational proxy rather than a figure measured for that exact job title.
- Growth varies a lot by role. Cybersecurity and forensic science are expanding quickly; correctional work and game warden positions are shrinking. Check the specific job, not just the field.
- Education and licensing requirements are rarely one-size-fits-all. Even within a single title, state and agency rules can shift what degree, license, or certification you actually need.
If one of these roles caught your attention, the specialty pages linked above walk through the hiring process, required training, and day-to-day expectations for that specific job.
May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for psychologists, accountants and auditors, forensic science technicians, police and detectives, registered nurses, postsecondary teachers, correctional officers and bailiffs, social workers, security guards and gambling surveillance officers, information security analysts, and arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators. Long-term job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral, and from BLS’s 2025–35 national projections where noted above. Figures reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026.