TOP 31 Highest Paying & High In Demand 2021 Criminal Justice Jobs $100000+

Criminal justice career is perhaps the most contributing job towards society. There is a wide range of jobs that people are pursuing to serve society. Law enforcement is not only the career through which you can contribute in this field instead, but there is also a vast range of careers that would help you become part of the criminal justice system. From lawyers to psychologists to probation officers, there many fields in the criminal justice system.

The advantage of pursuing a career in the criminal justice system is this field is expected to grow in the forthcoming years. The bureau of labor statistics has stated a 4% total growth of the field, and it is partially due to the increased demand to attain a better criminal justice system. Pursuing this career will help you serve society, but there are very high chances of job growth in this career, which means that getting a job in the criminal justice system will eventually lead you to the higher ranks.

If you are planning to pursue criminal justice career, you are at the right place. This article will give you information about the highest paid criminal justice jobs and educational requirements to join the post. Moreover, you will also attain other helpful information, which includes the number of total openings.

Where to begin?

If you are considering a job in Criminal Justice, there are a few things you want to take into consideration. These things help you make decisions necessary and help you know if this career path is right for you.

Who

Who, of course, is you. Nevertheless, who are you? What are you looking to achieve out of your degree in criminal justice? Is there a particular career path you are looking toward? You also want to think about how you did in school. Were you a bookworm, or were you someone who preferred to party? What did you have the most trouble with in school – note-taking, paper writing, or school preparation?

The things listed above are the things you need to think about before you make a decision. To be prepared for the challenge of college, you have to know your weaknesses and your strengths.

Why

The second thing is to ask yourself why you are interested in earning a degree in criminal justice. Are you interested in acquiring this degree because you are passionate, or are you expected to go into this field? If you are passionate, then you will have a far better chance of succeeding.

What

The third thing needed is to determine what exactly you want to do in Criminal Justice. Think about how much time you want to spend pursuing your degree, and that is something which will help you to decide. There are two-year associate’s degrees and four-year bachelor’s degrees. Spend time thinking about your long-term goals, and this will help you determine your goals.

Where

The fourth thing is figuring out what school you want to attend. Once you know what you are looking for and what type of degree you will pursue, you can start looking for a school that offers the degree you are looking for. Do some research and see what each school has to offer.

How

The final thing to ascertain is how. How am I going to pay for my fee? How will I go to college with all of the other demands on my time, such as work and kids? The first thing is to decide how you are going to go to college. Are you going to take some online courses that are perfect for people who have many other responsibilities? As for how you will pay for it, the chances are that you can qualify for financial aid.

Criminal Justice Resume Objective Best 19 Resume Objective Samples

Finding the answers to these five questions will help you make the right decision when researching a criminal justice career.

Highest Paying Criminal Justice Jobs:

Lawyer

Lawyers are an essential part of the criminal justice system. They have a dual role; they help the law enforcement agencies prove a charge on a culprit and help the people who have been wrongly accused of doing a crime. The lawyers are experts on legal matters and are being consulted by people upon legal matters. The educational requirement for a lawyer is a doctorate degree. The number of successful lawsuits counts a lot in this career. There is a total of 609930 lawyers in the United States, and each one has his area of expertise. Annually there are 15770 openings for the job, which is an opportunity for the people interested in pursuing this career and becoming a part of the criminal justice system.

The lawyers are the highest paid in the criminal justice system, with an average salary of $ 136,260.

Although the amount can increase depending upon the reputation, you have in the field.

Judges

The Judges are primarily responsible for overseeing the legal process in the courts. They interpret the laws and state constitutions in which they serve. The judges primarily serve at the two levels in the United States. The first level is the federal level; these judges oversee the legal matters at the federal level and have more power. The second level is, state level, judges at this level oversee the legal matter of state level.
The minimum education required to join the position is a bachelor’s degree; however, the person willing to become a judge must have a Juris doctorate.
The median salary of a judge is $117,190.

CIA officer

The central intelligence agency is responsible for the security of the United States. The CIA keeps an eye on the people suspected of having breached the state’s security protocols and arrests the suspects when enough evidence has been collected against them.

The CIA officers have the second most salaries in the criminal justice system, with an average of $105,000.

The minimum educational requirement to join the field is a bachelor’s degree in any field related to the criminal justice system. The people who are working as CIA officers are mostly bachelors or master degree holders. The master’s degree holders have a slight edge over the bachelor’s.

Information security Officer

In the contemporary era, information has become most important in each aspect. From individuals to multi-national firms to state departments, everyone strives to protect their information to maintain their secrecy. The responsibility of the information security officer is to protect the information in whichever organization he is hired. The officer has to maintain such systems which cannot be penetrated. Moreover, the information security officer also has to make sure that no malware, boots, or virus gets inducted into a computer and harms that organization’s privacy.

The demand for information security officers has increased much due to the excessive flow of information. It is for this reason that they are getting a high amount of salaries. Private sectors are hiring most information security officers. A minimum bachelor’s degree is required to start your career as an information security officer. They are a total of 88,880 people pursuing this career. The numbers of jobs that are being opened each year are 2,550.

The median salary of an information security officer is $93,250.

The demand for information security officers is expected to grow as new technologies are being innovated with each passing day. If you are interested in computer programming and Information technology, you are highly encouraged to pursue this career.

Prison Warden

The Prison wardens oversee the day-to-day activities of correctional institutions. The prison wardens are responsible for the safety and proper treatment of the inmates. They are administrators of the prison. They make financial policies for the prison and set goals.

The minimum educational requirement for a prison warden’s job is a high school diploma or an equivalent degree. Apart from the educational requirement, the post of prison warden requires vast experience of the correctional institutions.

The median salary of the prison warden is $ 86,594

First line Supervisors of police and detectives

The first-line supervisor of police and detectives is a job in the Police department. The supervisors have the responsibility of looking after the work of police officers and detectives. The supervisors have to ensure that the officers and detectives are making proper investigations; moreover, it is also the supervisors’ responsibility to ensure that chain of evidence is being maintained.
The First-line supervisors also coordinate with the personals from other law enforcement agencies and courts.
The minimum educational requirement for the job is a high school diploma, although the people serving in this position also have a bachelor’s degree. The numbers of people working on this post are 100,370. A total of 4,300 openings are announced for this job.
The average annual salary for the post is $85,810.

Crime Scene Investigator

A crime scene investigator’s responsibility is to carefully collect the physical shreds of evidence from the crime scene. The pieces of evidence may include hairs, tissues, and bodily fluids from the victim’s body. After carefully collecting evidence, the crime scene investigator has to perform tests and prepare reports that might help resolve a crime.

The minimum educational requirement for the job is a high school degree. A person who focuses on details has an edge. The job demands a person to be very careful with the shreds of evidence.

The median salary of a crime scene investigator is $79,620

Criminal Investigator

A crime scene investigator has to solve a crime that comes in his way. The role has often been glamorized on the television and in the movies where the criminal investigators solve a case in few hours. In reality, this is not the case. The crime scene investigators work for days and even months, collect valuable information, work on the collected information and resolve a crime. The local state often hires crime scene investigators and federal law-enforcing agencies to resolve the cases.
The minimum educational requirement for the job is a high school degree. Currently, there are 106580 personals employed on this job. There are 2830 annual openings for this job across the United States. The openings can be at a local level, state level, or federal level.
The median salary of a Crime scene investigator is $79,600. The salary may vary depending upon the area in which you get the job. Some States have higher salaries as compared to others.

Homicide Detective

Homicide detectives have sworn police officers who work to sort out the cases of unknown deaths. These detectives have to look for criminal activity behind an unknown death. The detectives use informants and collect the information to do their jobs. Moreover, the homicide detectives are responsible for collecting evidence, conducting background checks of the victim and possible checks, and conducting the interviews. After doing all these, homicide detectives identify the possible parties involved in the crime.
The minimum educational requirement for a homicide detective is a high school diploma.
There are people at this position who have a bachelor’s or even a master’s degree in the criminal justice field.
The median salary of a Homicide Detective is $ 79,600

ICE Agent

Immigration and customs enforcement agents are primarily responsible for preventing illegal immigration and un-law whole trafficking of goods into the United States. Recently the emphasis on the security of the homeland has increased. Therefore the people interested in this career are expected to have more employment opportunities in the upcoming years. The employment opportunity is in various departments, of which the prominent ones are border control, US customs, Department of homeland security, US secret service, and US coast guard.
The median salary for the job of immigration and customs enforcement agent is $79,550

Forensic Psychologist

Forensic psychologists study human behavior by observing, questioning, and interpreting how people react to a specific situation. Forensic psychologists examine how human beings behave in the specific situation and why do they do it. This study of human behavior is being done by observing the behavior a couple of times. The area of employment for a forensic psychologist is vast. Private firms may employ them to study employee behaviour, a school to study the behaviour of students, or even a police department and government agencies. They also have employment opportunities in the secret services like the FBI and United States secret services.
The median salary of a Forensic psychologist is $77,950

Forensic Accountant

The forensic account field is growing with each passing day and is expected to grow more in upcoming years. Forensic accountants’ job is to look for the financial history of victims and the culprits and identify the financial irregularities. The law-enforcing agencies are often hiring forensic accountants at the state and federal levels. A forensic accountant also has an employment opportunity at the federal bureau of investigation (FBI).
Not only the law enforcing agencies but private firms also hire forensic accountants to maintain their financial records. The minimum educational requirement for a forensic accountant’s job is a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounts-related field.
The median salary for the job of a forensic accountant is $ 75,280

CIA Analyst

Analysts have the most critical role in the Central intelligence academy. The responsibility of CIA analysts is to information that they receive from the detectives on the ground. The information that is being received has hidden messages in it, and it is the responsibility of these analysts to dig out the actual hidden information in those messages. These analysts are at the forefront in serving the United States. They analyze the information so that the US interests are being safeguarded at home and abroad.
The minimum educational requirement for the Job of CIA analyst is a bachelor’s degree. Many analysts are working in the CIA, but the essential information is not being shared due to the department’s sensitivity.
The median salary of a CIA analyst is $ 75,000

Emergency Management Director

The emergency management department is primarily responsible for assisting the people in overcoming natural disasters such as hurricanes and bushfires and human-made disasters such as terrorism and pollution. The emergency management director is responsible for supervising his department’s overall activity and coordinating with other departments in case of an imminent threat.
The minimum educational requirement for the job of emergency management director is a bachelor’s degree. Currently, 9840 people are working as emergency management directors. If you are willing to pursue your career as an emergency management director, you will be glad to hear that 190 openings are being made each year.
The median salary for the job of emergency management director is $73,750

Forensic Nurse

Forensic nursing is beyond the traditional nursing concept. A forensic nurse’s responsibility is to take care of the victims of assaults, child abuse, rape, and similar cases. While taking care of the victims, the nurses have to look for the evidence and collect them if found. So if you are willing to pursue your career in nursing and do not want it traditionally, forensic nursing can be the best choice for you where you can attach your career with law enforcement agencies.
The minimum educational requirement for a forensic nurse’s job is an associate degree in which nursing courses are included. The salary packages for forensic nurses are much higher than those for the nurses at the hospitals.
The median salary of a forensic nurse is $ 71,000

Computer Forensic Investigator

The computer forensic investigators are responsible for extracting information from the digital artifact. Alternatively, the information available in electronic form has to be extracted by computer forensic investigators. The information that a computer forensic investigator has to extract can be store on a computer device, a hard disk, and CD. The information can be collected from emails or even images.
The fast-growing reliance on computer technology has increased the demand for computer forensic investigators because crimes that are being committed today involve more electronic gadgets than they used to be. Therefore, criminals’ reliance on technology has increased the demand for someone who can extract information from such gadgets, and a computer forensic investigator is a suitable person for this. The minimum educational requirement for the job is a bachelor’s degree.
The median salary of a computer forensic investigator is $ 68,666

State Trooper

Each state has its force of state troopers with the responsibility of regulating the traffic. The state troopers have the duty to make sure that each citizen is abiding by the law. The troopers are authorized to ticket the individuals found violating these laws. Their title depends upon the state in which they work. They may be referred to as highway patrol or state patrol.
The minimum education requirement for the job of a state trooper is a high school degree.
Currently, more than 59,390 individuals are working as state troopers. Each year several openings are being made to hire individuals as state troopers. The advertisements are being through the Police department.
The median salary of a state trooper is $ 67,190.

Correctional Case Manager

The prime responsibility of a correctional case manager is to provide the connection between prison and social services. They work in an advisory capacity with the criminals to rehabilitate them and bring them back to the community. A correctional manager’s role is to provide direct rehabilitation counseling and job training.

The minimum educational requirement to become a correctional case manager is a high school diploma.

The median salary for a correctional case manager is $67,000

College Professor

Criminal Justice professors teach courses on criminal justice, correction, and law enforcement administration. The professors have two areas in which they work. The first one is the teaching side, and the second is the research field. The college professors produce literature on specific criminal justice topics which law enforcement agencies can use during the interrogation or even the rehabilitation of the offenders.
The educational requirement for becoming a college professor is a doctoral degree. At the same time, community colleges may require only a master’s degree.
The median salary of a college professor is $ 66,000. Some states like California might pay higher salaries to college professors. The salary in California for a college professor is $95,000

FBI Agent

The Federal Bureau of intelligence is the prime arm of the criminal justice system responsible for securing the United States from terrorism and enforcing the law. Therefore, an FBI agent‘s primary responsibility is to investigate crimes and enforce the laws of the United States. The FBI agents have to get involved in large-scale investigations such as organized crime, human trafficking, and drugs. Moreover, the FBI agents sometimes have to investigate more significant threats such as terrorism and plane hijacking.

A minimum bachelor’s degree is required to become an FBI agent. The numbers of people working in the FBI are 35,000. Each works in groups or separate mission and have to report to the officers supervising their missions.

The median salary of an FBI agent is $ 65,070

Security Managers

The security managers are responsible for managing security operations with an organization. The overall security of the organization in which they work is their responsibility. They make security policies, regulate operations, and establish security norms. The security managers have to keep track of different events and provide security to them. Moreover, the security managers are responsible for emergency operations.

The minimum education requirement for a security manager is at least an associate degree in criminal justice.

The median salary for the job of a security manager is $ 63,000

First Line supervisor of correctional officers

The responsibility of first-line supervisors of correctional officers is to coordinate the operations of correctional officers. The peaceful environment shall be maintained by the officers and is being supervised by the first-line supervisor. The supervisors shall do routine searches, and the officers must be regularly trained under his supervision.
The minimum educational requirement for the job of first-line supervisor of correctional officers is a high school degree. Forty-two thousand five hundred twenty individuals are working on the post of first-line supervisors. There are 1,530 openings made every year to induct more individuals.
The median salary of a first-line supervisor is $62,770

Deputy Sheriff

Deputy Sheriff’s prime responsibility is to prevent crime through intervention and prevention. The deputy sheriff has the arrest powers and can arrest the criminals. The deputy sheriffs have sworn police officers to protect the people from criminal elements in society.
The minimum educational requirement for the job of a deputy sheriff is a high school diploma or degree. Various jobs are being offered in this field through the police department.
The median salary for the job of a deputy sheriff is $ 61,270

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Narcotics Officer

The narcotics officer has the duty of preventing the drugs from getting into society the look for the elements responsible for providing drugs to the people. The officers also have powers to prevent and arrest people who are found consuming drugs. These officers serve in different states in order to prevent the spread of drugs. It is a common perception that drugs have penetrated US society, so the narcotics officers’ demand has increased in the past few years.
The minimum educational requirement for the job is a high school diploma. The people working as narcotics officers are being taken from the police department. The police department is offering several jobs.
The average median salary of the narcotics officer is 61,270

Police Officers

The police officers serve society by maintaining law and order in society and protecting citizens’ property and lives. The officers have to go through strenuous training in their academies, and then they are authorized to serve. The police job requires physical and mental strength, which is projected into the individuals in the academies. The minimum education that is required to join the police department is a high school diploma. The number of people working currently as police officers are 653,704. Protecting the citizens is the prime responsibility of the police department. For this purpose, 25,840 new job openings are being made each year.
The median salary of a police officer is $ 61,270

United States Park Police

The Park police officers are primarily responsible for protecting the parks. The federal government is inducting the officers, and the offices of park police are located throughout the country. The park police have three divisions, field operation, homeland security, and services.
The minimum educational requirement for the job of Park police is a high school diploma.
Various posts are being announced year through the police department.
The median salary for the Job of Park police is $ 61,270

Forensic Anthropologist

A forensic anthropologist’s primary responsibility is to identify the human remains and identify the cause of death. The discipline is specialized; therefore, many organizations seek the services of an anthropologist. The anthropologist’s employment opportunities are in many fields, but if we talk of law enforcement agencies, anthropologists have much demand in these agencies. For example, the Federal bureau of intelligence has established its laboratory specified to anthropology.
The minimum educational requirement for the job is a master’s degree. Each year the services of anthropologists are being availed by many of the law enforcement agencies. These services can be on contracts as well as permanently.
The average median salary of a forensic anthropologist is $ 60,230.

Fire Investigator

Fire investigators examine the fireplaces and search for the reasons behind the fire. For this investigation, the fire investigators are authorized to collect evidence from the fire site. This investigation’s actual purpose is to determine whether there was criminal activity behind the fire or not.

The minimum educational requirement for the job of fire investigator is a high school diploma. Currently, 12290 individuals are working as fire investigators. Each year 430 news openings are announced.

The median salary for the job of fire investigator is $59,800

Criminologist

Criminology is a field o science that focuses on all aspects of crimes at every level of society. The prime responsibility of a criminologist is to collect and examine the evidence. For this, the criminologists have to visit the crime scenes several times. Moreover, the criminologist also has to explore the psychological reason behind the crime by analyzing the evidence.

There is no specific educational requirement to become a criminologist; however, an academic degree of bachelor’s or doctorate might help get to a better position.

The median salary of a criminologist is $ 58,116.

DEA Agent

Drug enforcement administration (DEA) is the world’s leading agency that prevents the illegal trafficking of drugs and enforces Federal law in that domain. DEA agents are employees of the agency to enforce federal laws. The agents keep an eye on the people involved in manufacturing and supplying drugs across the United States. The agents collect evidence against the criminals; once they have enough evidence, they arrest the criminals and charge them.
The minimum educational requirement for the job of DEA agent is a bachelor’s degree. Currently, five thousand individuals are working as DEA Agents.

Private Investigator

Private Investigators are often known as private detectives. They are hired to locate missing persons and to obtain hidden or confidential information. They are also asked to take their part in solving crimes. Private investigators often work with law enforcement agencies or private investigation agencies. They can also be self-employed by working directly for the clients.

The minimum educational requirement for a private investigator is a high school diploma. Currently, 879,650 individuals are working as Private investigators. Each year 2130 openings are made on different posts of Private investigators.