Information on Careers in the C J field

The criminal justice field focuses on the maintenance of public safety and the control of criminal behavior. Employment is found in government, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations. Government is the largest employer in the criminal justice field, with approximately 50% employed at the local level.

Click on the links below for the information you are seeking:

An Overview of the Criminal Justice Branches	Career Possibilities in Criminal Justice		Education Requirements
Entry-Level Salary Information		Criminal Justice Employment

The Criminal Justice field consists of the following branches:

Law Enforcement	The primary responsibilities are the maintenance of peace, the prevention of crime, and the supervision of criminals.
Judiciary	The court systems handle individuals once arrested and charged with a crime. The courts determine the action to be taken in each case.
Corrections	Personnel in this field maintain the security, safety, guidance, and supervision of criminals. They also provide corrective retraining programs to enable criminals to re-enter society.
Private Security	The private security industry is one of the fastest growing enterprises in the U.S. Personnel in the field offer protection and conduct risk assessments for private property.

Some of the career possibilities in Criminal Justice in their career categories:

Enforcement	Judiciary	Corrections	Private Security
Patrolman	Prosecuting Attorney	Probation Officer	Private Investigator
Investigation Officer	Defense Attorney	Parole Officer	Security Officer
Traffic Officer	Judge	Jail/Prison Officer	Security Operator
Sheriff Deputy	Court Administrator	Counselor	Alarm Installer
Administrator	Bailiff	Case Worker	Personal Computer Security
Highway Patrolman	Court Clerk	Administrator	Hotel Security
Game Warden	Court Reporter	Recreation Specialist	Store Detective
Juvenile Officer	Legal Assistant	Psychologist
Training Instructor	CJ Systems Planner	Psychiatrist
Forensic Science Specialist	Victim Restitution	Vocational and Academic Teacher
Dispatcher	Paralegal	Juvenile Detention Officer
Community Relations Officer	Parole Officer	Employee Development Specialist
FBI Special Agent	Probation Officer	Public Relations Officer
Security Guard	Diversion Specialist	Ombudsman
US Secret Service Officer	Arbitrator	Health Systems Administrator
Customs Inspector	Legal Research	Budget Analyst
Deputy US Marshal	Background Investigator	Juvenile Worker
Computer Security Expert	Mediation Specialist	Placement Officer
IRS Agent	Bondsman	Computer Specialist
Intelligence Analyst	Sentencing Analyst	Chief of Programs
Evidence Technician	Process Server
Postal Inspector

NOTE: Many of the above positions are not sworn positions

Education Requirements

Education requirements vary greatly in the Criminal Justice field. Depending on how far you wish to advance in the criminal justice field, you may wish to further your education:

PhD Usually Required	Law Degree or Master's Degree Usually Required	Bachelor's Degree Usually Required	High School Diploma Required
University Professor	Criminal Justice Administrator	Recreational Specialist	Dispatcher
Criminologist	College Professor	Vocational or Academic Teacher in Corrections	Game Warden
Criminal Justice Researcher	Attorney	Probation Officer	Bailiff
Criminal Justice Consultant	Juvenile Officer	Parole Officer	Court Clerk
Psychologist in Corrections	Case Worker	Law Enforcement Administrator
	Judge	Jail or prison custodial officer (May Not Require College)
	Counselor	Court Reporter (May Not Require College)
	Court Administrator	Patrolman (May Not Require College)
	Criminal Justice Planner	Sheriff (May Not Require College)
	Forensic Science Specialist	Investigation Officer (May Not Require College)

Some Information about Entry-Level Salaries

Law Enforcement

Federal jobs start at about $31,000, the national average, although more selective agencies like the U.S. Postal Inspectors and U.S. Marshals may start you out at $39,000 or more. Entry level depends upon prior government service (such as military service), as well as other factors. State jobs, on average, start at about $25,000 but may vary as much as 3,000 to 5,000 either way. County jobs, on average, start at about $20,000 and do not tend to vary as much although there is some disparity between rich and poor counties. City jobs, likewise, vary depending upon the city, but the average starting pay is anywhere between $20,000 and $30,000, mostly because there are more poor than rich cities. Many municipalities will increase pay with college degrees.

The Courts

Jobs in the court sector, like probation and parole, have salaries that vary widely. Entry level pay ranges from $22,000 to $32,000, but federal positions range from $27,000 to $49,000 (some of the highest paid starting salaries in criminal justice are in federal probation), depending upon experience. Pre-employment in corrections or investigative work is usually the best preparation besides having a college degree. Raises are not that common, but when they happen, they are across the board and usually quite large.

Corrections

Correctional pay varies tremendously from state-to-state. The national average is $19,000 with places like Arkansas starting as low as $13,000 and places like New York and New Jersey starting at $30,000 and up. Federal corrections approximates the pay of top states, and has better benefits. In corrections, you will most likely receive regular salary increases every year along with easy-to-get merit raises until you are making about $35,000 or more by your fifth year. Promotion is also much more rapid in this sector due to turnover.

Primary Source: Dr. O'Connor's Criminal Justice Page from Wesleyan College

Criminal Justice Employment Links

General Links for Criminal Justice Employment

	Civil Service Openings - By State
	Criminal Justice Jobs in North Carolina - Lists daily job listing from the Raleigh News & Observer as well as the State Civil Service, provided by Dr. O'Connor from North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, NC
	How to get a job in Criminal Justice - Prepared by Dr. O'Connor from North Carolina Wesleyan College

Law Enforcement Related

	Officer.Com - A law enforcement employment directory
	Cop Spot Employment Pages
	Jobs4Police - Free daily updates on hundreds of the best local, county, state and federal law enforcement jobs in the United States
	North Carolina Police Job Hunting Resources
	North Carolina Justice Academy Criminal Justice Job Bank
	Law Enforcement Careers
	FBI Personnel and Employment Page - Information on hiring, recruitment, salaries, and employment statistics
	Ira Wilsker's Law Enforcement Employment Page - One of the most comprehensive law enforcement sites on the web
	LawEnforcementJobs.Com - A site which contains police employment, government jobs, law enforcement opportunities, and law enforcement job links
	Occupational Outlook Handbook - Maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor
	CopSeek.Com - Links to law enforcement agencies world-wide and information on law enforcement associations, education and training, intelligence and statistics, job openings, information resources, and more

Court Related

	Legal Employment Search Site
	The American Bar Association Job Opportunities

Corrections Related

	Corrections Connections
	ACA Jobs Bank
	North Carolina Department of Corrections
	Jail.Net

General Employment Links

	Monster.com
	Hotjobs.com
	Careerbuilder.com
	Jobs.com
	Dice.com
	Nationjob.com
	USAJOBS - Provides details on employment opportunities within the federal government
	CareerWeb - Store your resume on-line and track your targeted job preferences with their job match function