With a criminal justice degree, you can work in roles such as as an crime scene investigator or police officer. This kind of work pays well, but your exact salary will depend on a number of factors. Let’s take a look at the average salary you’ll earn as a criminal justice graduate, along with how to make more money in this field.

Criminal Justice Salary by Job Title

Since your job title has a profound effect on the amount of money you can expect to earn as a graduate with a criminal justice degree, let’s start by looking at the salaries you can expect based on this factor. Here are some common roles criminal justice students take after graduation, along with average salaries:

• Legal Secretary: $42,940
• Paralegal: $50,080
• Mediator: $63,250
• Court Reporter: $52,460
• Police Officer: $55,180
• Federal Government Law Enforcement: $73,170
• FBI Special Agent: $48,159
• FBI Supervisor: $89,115
• Forensics Technologist: $55,070
• Probation Officer: $50,500

In the criminal justice field, there is usually the opportunity to work overtime, and with these extra bonuses, you can expect to make up to $20,000 more annually, so taking this into account, there’s definitely the chance to make a six-figure salary in many of these fiels as you gain experience.

Salary by Location

Location is going to be a factor in salary in almost every field. In criminal justice, you’ll typically be paid more in areas where there’s a high need. Locations that pay most in criminal justice depend on your job title, but here are the top-paying states for police officers, which is one of the most common job choices for criminal justice degree students:

• California: $78,690
• New Jersey: $77,660
• District of Columbia: $67,830
• Illinois: $66,050
• Washington: $64,620

Keep in mind that you’ll typically earn more as a police officer or any kind of criminal justice worker if you work in a large city. For example, Illinois is on the top pay list, but you’ll earn much more if you work in Chicago than if you work in a rural area of the state.

Other Factors Affecting Salary

Want to make more money as a graduate with a criminal justice degree? Here are some of your options:

• Go back to school – the more education you have, the more money you’ll make.
• Seek security clearances to you can take leadership roles.
• Get certified in specialties if this option is available in your area.
• Choose your employer carefully – some types of employers make much more than others.
• Work more overtime hours.