Top 25 Entry Level Criminal Justice Jobs

There is wide range of entry level jobs available in criminal justice system. The people are hired on these jobs for dealing with the criminals and crime scenes. There are numerous local, state and federal level agencies that recruit people on different positions in criminal justice system.

The educational requirements may vary depending upon the job for which an applicant is selected. In this article we are going to discuss the top entry level jobs in criminal justice system along with the educational requirements and salaries for them.

ATF agent

An ATF (Alcohol, tobacco, firearm and explosives) agent or officer has responsibility of regulating the laws related to alcohol, tobacco and firearms. The agent oversees the activities in which these substances are involved. The ATF agent has power to take warrant, raid a place and arrests those involved in violating the laws. The agent also has responsibility of preparing reports against the criminals. The ATF agent has to work in irregular hours and often has to deal with criminal in dangerous situations.

The ATF agent has huge responsibility on his shoulders and therefore by doing his job he contributes to the society as well.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of ATF agent is a four year’s bachelor’s degree in any field related to criminal justice system. The candidates with a year of experience equivalent to FV-G level in the field are preferred.

Salary of ATF agent: The average annual salary of an ATF agent is $35,000

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Bailiff

A bailiff is responsible for maintaining orderly proceeding in the court room. The bailiffs are also responsible for isolating jury members from general public during high profile cases. As being responsible for maintaining orderly proceeding of the court, a bailiff has to maintain proper supply of the goods that are necessary for the proceeding of court, such as witnesses, reports and schedules. The position of bailiff requires strong administrative capabilities and ability to deal with diverse personality types.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement is a high school diploma however some positions may require bachelor’s degree and one year of training. The aspiring candidates are advised to begin their career from a position that does not require one year of training or complete the training program during their educational discourse.

Salary of bailiff: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a bailiff is $38,972.

Back ground screening analyst

The job of a back ground screening analyst is to screen the backgrounds of short listed candidates during the hiring process. A screening analyst has to ensure that the candidates who are being shortlisted are not involved in any sort of criminal activity in the past.

Once the candidate submits his papers the screening analyst works on them to ensure the integrity of the candidate. For this purpose, the screening analyst may have to make phone calls and check criminal data servers.

Educational requirements: A background screening analyst must have a bachelor’s degree in any field of criminal justice system. The candidate must also have understanding of human psychology as this additional skill will help in his career.

Salary of a background screening analyst: According the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a background screening analyst is $60,243

Border patrol agent

The duty of a border patrol agent is vigilance of physical activity across the border. The border patrol agent has to monetarize borders so that no terrorist movement or illegal smuggling occurs. Technology has advanced, so the border patrol agents are often equipped with modern gadgets that allow them to monitor illegal trafficking on borders.

The border patrol agent has to stay in remote areas for surveillance and have to screen strangers wearing firearms therefore a person willing to becoming a border patrol agent must be comfortable with these working conditions.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of border patrol agent is a bachelor’s degree in any field related to criminal justice system. On the other hand if an applicant has a work experience in the field it can be a substitute for the educational requirement.

Salary of Border patrol agent: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a border patrol agent is $58,763

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Classification officer

Being a classification officer you will have to allocate different sections to the prisoners. For example if a drug dealer is being caught and brought to jail the classification officer to sends him to the section which is allocated for the drug dealers. The classification officers have specialized training for human psychology and they use their training when interviewing prison inmates. The classification officer reviews the condition of the prisoners by examining his history.

The goal of a classification officer is to send the prisoner in most independent and secure setting therefore the classification officer must have excellent assessment skills and sense of character.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the classification officer is an associate degree in psychology guidance and counselling. In correctional setting the job might often require two years of experience.

Salary of a classification officer: According to bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a classification officer is $57,471

Computer Forensic specialist

Digital evidence is of most importance in handling criminal cases. A computer forensic specialist is responsible for tracking and locating the criminal activities that took place on computer, laptops and similar electronic devices. A computer forensic specialist has to collect evidences from the crime scene and interview the suspects. Moreover the computer forensic specialist may be required to give testimony in the court room.

The job of a computer forensic specialist is not just perfect for a person who has interest in handling computers but also for a person who wishes to join law enforcement agencies. The Job also demands a person’s ability to break down the findings and prepare reports for the court room.

Educational requirements: The employers prefer the candidates with bachelor’s degree in the computer science or related field. Although experience is not required by the employers but candidates who have an experience have huge advantage.

Salary of a computer forensic specialist: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a computer forensic specialist is 70,035

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Conservation officer

A conservation officer is responsible for ensuring that the hunting and fishing areas have no poachers. The officer may also patrol several parks to ensure the protection of wildlife and implement the laws of land use. The conservation officer also maintains peaceful environment for the visitors. A conservation officer needs to have the ability of friendly communicating with people yet enforcing the law strictly. In other words a conservation officer will have a relation with people based on love and hate. This can be tricky task nonetheless the duty of a conservation officer requires him to have these capabilities.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of a conservation officer is an associate degree however some employers might require a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, environment science and biology.

Salary of a conservation officer: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of conservation officer is $41,398

Correctional Services Specialist

The duty of a correctional services specialist is to help the prisoners reintegrate into the society. The correctional services specialist is a bridge between the criminal Justice department and social services organizations. The duty of correctional specialist is to make a plan of actions in collaboration with these social welfare organizations to help the criminals. The action plans helps the criminal in reintegrating into the society by giving up their habit of committing crime. Therefore a correctional officer must have a strong belief in starting things again.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the position of correctional services specialist is a bachelor’s degree in any field of criminal sciences, human psychology or behavioral sciences.

Salary of correctional services specialist: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a correctional services specialist is $45,280

Crime Analyst

The prime responsibility of a crime analyst is to predict about the chances of criminal activity that can take place in near future. This prediction is done by crime analyst by studying the human psychology and analyzing that data available. The crime analyst has to extract statistical data of crimes and compare it with the criminal psychology and by doing so the crime analyst predicts the future criminal activities.

A crime analyst can also predict about the needs of supply teams. If you or one your relative is planning to become a crime analyst, he must have good organizational and communication skills along with critical thinking.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for a crime analyst is a bachelor’s degree. The major courses of the degree must include administration of justice, criminal justice, criminology, statistical analysis, psychology and sociology.

Salary of crime analyst: According to the bureau of labor statistics, the average annual salary of crime analysts is $47,087.

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Crime Lab analyst

The crime lab analyst has knowledge of sciences and uses it in the forensic laboratory for assisting the law enforcement agencies. A crime lab analyst has to analyze the information being picked up from the crime scene to prove someone innocent or a criminal. As a result of this analysis the evidence being produce by a crime lab analyst is impossible to deny or prove wrong because of the techniques being used by him.

A crime lab analyst produces the evidence by understanding the science of DNA and molecular biology. A crime lab analyst can also be asked to testify his findings in the court. These reports are often to or away from the suspect

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of crime lab analyst is bachelor’s degree in forensic sciences, criminology or physical sciences. However some employers might require a master’s degree.

Salary of a crime lab analyst: According to bureau of labor statistics, the average annual salary of a crime lab analyst is $51,729.

Crime prevention Specialist

The prime responsibility of a crime prevention specialist is to prevent crime from happening. For this purpose the crime prevention specialists engage with the society and seek their help for eradication of criminal activities. If you are planning to become a crime prevention specialist, you must be aware that you will have to make security arrangements and suggestions to eliminate crime. As a crime prevention specialist you will have to make recommendations for crime preparedness and security.

As a crime prevention specialist, you will have to make public announcements to make the people aware of the crimes. Secondly you will have to work in collaboration with general public and ask them to keep an eye on their neighborhood so that every criminal activity is reported.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of a crime prevention analyst is bachelor’s degree in any field related to criminal justice.

Salary of a crime prevention Specialist: According to the bureau of labor statistics, the average annual salary of a crime prevention specialist is $ 46,000.

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Crime Scene supervisor

The Prime responsibility of a crime scene supervisor is to ensure that all the evidence is being taken into custody carefully. After the collection of evidence, a crime scene supervisor has to oversee the work of his team working under him. If you are planning to become a crime scene supervisor you need to know that evidence collection is the key for solving a criminal case therefore you must ensure that safety procedures are being followed by your teams at the time of evidence collection.

As a crime scene supervisor you might have to testify your findings in front the court. Moreover you need to have excellent communication skills and you must be able to pay attention to those smaller details present at the crime scene. The working hours for crime scene supervisor are odd because a crime can take place any time and the supervisor has to be at the crime scene.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of a crime scene supervisor is a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology, forensic sciences or a closely related field. Some employers prefer candidates who have complete their training. So if you haven’t already completed it, you must look for a place where you can complete you training because it will be a huge plus for you when seeking employment.

Salary of a crime scene supervisor: According to the bureau of labor statistics, the average annual salary of crime scene supervisor is $86,724

Crime victims service Coordinator

The prime responsibility of crime victims’ coordinator is to provide support to the victims of crime. Whenever a victim needs support the police department calls the crime victims service coordinator to provide support and intervene in the cases of sexual assault, domestic violence and death. If you are planning to become a crime victim service coordinator you need to know that during your job you will have to provide emotional and psychological support to the victims of crime.

As a crime victims service coordinator you need to have understanding of crisis support. Along with the support, you will also have to keep the victim update on the progress of criminal execution. You also need to understand how intervention and support groups work.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of crime victim’s service coordinator is a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, psychology and social work.

Salary of a crime victim’s service coordinator: According the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a crime victim’s service coordinator is $34,388

Criminal Investigator

A criminal investigator finds tracks and incarcerates criminal through analysis interviews and clues from crime scene. Some criminal investigators specialize in one area of investigation and pursue their careers in that field such homicide. If you are planning to become a criminal investigator, you will be lucky enough to have employment opportunity at local, state and federal level.

As a criminal investigator you might be asked to work in odd hours. If you have strong communication skills and a memory that helps you remember incidents for long you are perfect for the job of criminal investigator. A criminal investigator has to keep record of the interviews that he has conducted during the investigation.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of a criminal investigator is an associate degree. However having a bachelor’s degree can increase your employment opportunity in the field.

Salary of a criminal Investigator: According the bureau of labor statistics, the average annual salary of criminal investigator is $58,433

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Criminal law Paralegal

The prime responsibility of criminal law paralegal is to assist the attorneys in building their cases and doing the paper work. As a criminal law paralegal you will have to interview clients, do background searches and prepare the trial exhibits. Moreover you will need to have good understanding of federal and state laws.

Being a criminal law paralegal you will have to oversee the cases, track the deadlines of the cases, submit and draft the legal documents, tracking of the time of attorney and many other paralegal responsibilities. A criminal law paralegal must be an independent self-motivated individual who has strong organizational skills and is able to manage the hectic law practices.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for a criminal law paralegal is a two year degree in criminal justice or paralegal training with a criminal law specialization. However the employers have started preferring the candidates with four year of bachelor’s degree therefore the national federation of paralegals advise the aspiring candidates to opt for a bachelor’s degree instead of a two year degree.

Salary of a criminal law paralegal: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a criminal law paralegal is $46,467.

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Criminal Profiler

The prime responsibility of a criminal profiler is to fill the missing details about a criminal or a crime. If you are planning to become a criminal profiler you will have to work with law enforcement agencies to assist them find the missing details about an individual. Being a criminal profiler you will also have to produce a portrait or psychological profile of a perpetrator and the methods he used to commit the crime. This profiling is done by breaking down the evidence that is taken into custody from the crime scene.

As a criminal profiler you will also have to interview the family members of the victims and explore the evidence taken by police department. The position requires a person’s ability to work with multiple teams and solve complex problems.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of a criminal profiler is a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or related fields. However some criminal profilers have master’s degree in forensic sciences.

Salary of a criminal profiler: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a criminal profiler is $62,888

Criminal Research Specialist

A criminal research specialist often works with homeland security department to safeguard the borders. Being a criminal research specialist you will have to make such strategies which intercept the illegal trafficking of drugs and weapons into the United States and illegal exportation of technology and human trafficking.

A criminal research specialist must have capability of foreseeing such activities so that he can intercept them on time. If you have good communication and organizational skills you are perfect for the job of criminal research specialist.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of criminal research specialist is a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or closely related field. However some specific job positions might require a master’s degree.

Salary of a criminal research specialist: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of criminal research specialist is $49,930

Criminologist

A criminologist uses his knowledge of human psychology and human nature to determine to root cause behind criminal behavior. Being a criminologist you will have certain statistical data about the crimes that took place, by comparing the data with human psychology you will be able to determine the cause behind criminal behavior. Moreover a criminologist has two duties. The First one is to determine the reason behind the crime and the second one is to predict when a crime can take place in future.

If you have the ability maintain the safety of record and you are good with observing small details about an incident, you are advised to become a criminologist.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of criminologist is a bachelor’s degree in criminology, psychology or sociology.

Salary of a criminologist: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a criminologist is $ 43,487.

Court Reporter

A court reporter has duty of recording the proceedings of the court. A court reporter uses stenographic machine to transcribe of the events of trail. A reporter concentrates on capturing all the words correctly while typing without any distraction.

Being a court reporter you will have to be punctual about the timings of the court. A court reporter must arrive before the court proceedings start and record the proceedings. The additional duties of a court reporter are to maintain the court calendar, Answering phones and assisting the juries.

Educational requirements: A court reporter need to have certification as registered professional reporter. Some states require a court reporter to have license.

Salary of court reporter: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a court reporter is $ 49,194.

Customs Import specialist

The customs import specialist has responsibility of determining what good can or cannot enter the United States. The custom import specialist classifies different goods depending on their value. Customs import specialist determines the value of a good and puts the similar items in a group. In some cases a he might be involved in investigations where an international actor is involved in illegal trafficking of goods.

If you are interested in international trade and trade rules, the job of a customs import specialist is perfect for you. The job requires an individual to be very organized and have strong analytical abilities.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of customs import specialist is a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, business management and economics.

Salary of a customs Import specialist: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a customs import specialist is $45,046

Deportation officer

The prime duty of a deportation officer is to identify illegal immigrants in the United States and deport them to their native countries. The deportation officer needs to have complete knowledge of laws that determine an illegal immigrant. If you or one of your relative is planning to become a deportation officer you will be glad to hear that being a deportation officer you will work the homeland security department which is a dream department for many US citizens.

As deportation officer you will have to testify in the court room. The word mercy doesn’t have any meaning during the job of deportation officer. Your job demands from you not to spare any illelgal immigrant.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of deportation officer is a high school. However the employers prefer the candidates who have higher education. A BA in criminal justice can help you a lot in becoming a deportation officer.

Salary of Deportation officer: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a deportation officer is $ 54,037.

Diplomatic security agent

A diplomatic security has agent has the responsibility of protecting all the diplomatic activities that are taking place between ambassadors and other high level officials. Being a diplomatic security agent you will have to arrange different meeting and protecting the dignitaries. Another prospect of the job of diplomatic security agent is that they often investigate the cases which include Visa fraud.

If you have planned to become a diplomatic security agent you must have good physical as well as mental health. The diplomatic security agents are trained for self-defense and first aid.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job is bachelor’s degree in security studies or related field.

Salary of a diplomatic agent: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of diplomatic security agent is $55,092

Federal bureau of investigation (FBI) agent

The federal bureau of investigation agent is one of those glamorized positions which every US citizen wishes to join.

An FBI agent is responsible for protecting the US interests in home and abroad. Being an FBI agent you will have to investigate espionage, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and organized crime. The Job of an FBI agent requires mental and physical toughness.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for an FBI agent is a bachelor’s degree from accredited university or college with at least 3.0 GPA or higher. The course work of the degree must be focused in criminal justice, psychology and computer sciences.

Salary of a FBI agent: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a FBI agent is $68,209

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Field Asset protection analyst

A Field asset protection analyst is aware of the illegal financial practices and money laundering. The field protection analyst is being hired by the companies to keep track of their financial activity and look for illegal financial transactions.

Being a field asset protection analyst you will have to work on large scale data and find out any illegal financial activity.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of field asset protection analyst is a bachelor’s in criminology, accounting or political science.

Salary of a financial asset protection analyst: According to the bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a field asset protection analyst is $41,392.

Finger print Specialist

A fingerprint specialist is responsible for extracting different type of information from the fingerprints left by the perpetrator of a crime. Being a finger print specialist you will have to very details oriented and focus on little details. The finger print specialist in his own way makes a portrait of a criminal by using the latest technologies available.

Being a fingerprint specialist you will have to pick up the fingerprints from the crime scene and compare them with the existing data on the computers. A Finger print specialist sometimes has to testify in the court room.

Educational requirements: The minimum educational requirement for the job of fingerprint specialist is a bachelor’s degree in forensic sciences or criminal justice.

Salary of a fingerprint specialist: According to bureau of labor statistics the average annual salary of a fingerprint specialist is $105,211