What Job Can I Get With A Criminology Degree-Are you wondering what opportunities a criminology degree could earn you? Now being a criminology graduate with critical thinking, analytical and communications skills, you will be highly sorted after by employers both inside and outside the criminal justice sector.
You must know those criminologists are very important, even in the government sector. Criminology is an excellent career choice that develops your understanding of the social and personal aspects of crime, victimization and responses to crime and deviance. It also helps you build specific skills such as;
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Generating and evaluating evidence
- Making reasoned arguments and ethical judgments
- Collecting, analyzing and interpreting data,
- Report writing
Criminology is the study of crime and criminal characteristics/behavior, informed by principles of both sociology and other non-legal fields, which includes psychology, statistics, economics, and anthropology. This study focuses on the causes of crime, such as conflict between social and economic classes leading to social upheaval, JRank’s explanation.
Criminology is a really great field, as it helps society understand, manage and reduce crime, and also help understand the mindset of criminals. Careers related to criminology are usually secure, and salaries are often reasonably competitive and many positions include government benefits.
There are lots of job opportunities you can get with a degree in criminology, and we will be listing them below.
Jobs You Can Get With A Criminology Degree
- Loss Prevention Officer
- Private Investigator
- Jury Consultant
- Probation Officer
- Correctional Officer
- Criminology Professor
- Forensic Scientist
- Clinical Social Worker
- Police Detective
- Lawyer
- Forensic Psychologist
- Criminal Profiler
- Loss Prevention Officer
Loss prevention officers are responsible for preventing theft and apprehending thieves. They’re usually hired by retail businesses to patrol their premises so they can deter and detain shoplifters. With a criminology degree a loss prevention officer would be qualified to go for a position with high-end and high-paying businesses. With their understanding of criminology, they can help implement preventive measures against thieves.
Loss prevention officers could earn up to $15.93 per hour.
- Private Investigator
Private Investigators are mostly hired by individuals to investigate a specific crime. They do not work with the police, so they must use their own resources to solve cases. Having a criminology degree would help private investigators by giving the potential clients more reassurance, as it will make the private Investigator appear more experienced and trustworthy.
A private investigator could earn up to $23.66 per hour.
- Jury Consultant
Just consultants primarily help in selecting and appointing jurors for court cases. They mainly interview potential jurors, research their backgrounds and determine whether or not they will be unbiased when deciding on a verdict. With a criminology degree, a jury consultant will be well equipped to choose jurors for specific cases abs will be able to use their knowledge of criminology to determine how certain jurors might respond to certain trials.
You could earn up $47,378 per year as a Jury consultant.
- Probation Officer
Probation officers are responsible for assisting criminal ls who have served their term and are re-entering society. They recommend rehabilitation plans, have regular meeting with probationers to check their progress and contact the courts when someone breaks their parole. With a criminology degree, a probation officer will communicate better with the probationers and develop effective treatment plans.
Probation Officers could earn up to $55,265 per year
- Correctional Officer
Correctional officers take their time enforcing the rules and regulations within a prison. They communicate with the prisoners daily, supervising their activities, settling any conflict and keeping peace among all inhabitants. A degree in criminology will give them the knowledge to help them understand the prisoners and to be an effective influence for their rehabilitation.
Correctional officers could earn up to $56,806 per year.
- Criminology Professor
Criminology professors spend their days educating students about criminal psychology, sociology and law. They basically teach in college or university classrooms and can also publish their studies in academic journals or books.
Criminology Professors could earn up to $57,105 per year
- Forensic Scientist
A forensic scientist studies crime scenes and physical evidence in order to help detectives in catching criminals. With a degree in criminology, these professionals can use their knowledge of criminal thought and motive to interpret the evidence correctly.
Forensic scientists could earn up to $61,101 per year.
- Clinical Social Worker
A clinical social worker works specifically with people facing substance addiction, unemployment, domestic abuse, and some other serious challenges. Though many other clients are not criminals, clinical social workers usually interact with the police, parole officers and other law enforcement officers in the course of their job.
You could earn up tob$62,328 per year as a clinical social worker.
- Police Detective
Police detectives are primarily responsible for solving crimes, apprehending criminal, and maintaining the peace in their community. To be effective in their job, they need to understand how criminals think, behave (why they do what they do) and how they can be stopped. With a criminology degree, they can use their in-depth knowledge of criminals to solve their cases effectively.
Police detectives could earn up to $70,931 per year.
- Lawyer
If a lawyer decides to specialize in criminal cases, they can chose to pursue a Master’s Degree in criminology. This master’s degree would help a lawyer to interview witnesses, present evidence in court and negotiate with criminals effectively.
You could earn up to $89,458 per year.
- Forensic Psychologist
Forensic psychologists are responsible for interviewing suspects and convicting criminals in order to understand their intentions for committing a crime and the reasons behind their behaviors. With their extensive knowledge of human psychology they can determine if a suspect is suffering from mental illness or if they are mentally fit to stand trial. Having a criminology degree would help a forensic psychologist interact with suspects and criminals more efficiently.
A Forensic psychologist could earn up to $96,294 per year.
- Criminal Profiler
Criminal profilers are professionals who use their in-depth understanding of criminal psychology to predict the movements of serial perpetrators. They study a particular criminal and assess their behavior which helps them pursue and apprehend guilty suspects. Having a criminology degree will be really beneficial because it focuses on understanding the motives and behaviors of criminals in modern society.
Criminal profiler’s salary solely depends on employer and location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Criminology degrees allow students to gain transferable skills in presentation, research, communication, time management, organization and social skills and awareness through coursework, presentations and group work.
San Francisco, CA reports the highest salaries for criminology major graduates at $61,555 per year. The San Francisco, CA average entry-level salary for criminology majors is $34,000.
A criminologist should have proficiency in statistics, calculus and data analytics, according to U.S. News. A big part of a criminologist’s job duties includes taking and keeping statistics on crime rates, victims and criminals and then studying those stats to solve crime issues.
With a criminology degree you can enter into a professional role that is of high value to society. You could be tackling crime, exploring why people break the law and improving systems in education, rehabilitation and crime prevention.
Final Note
The jobs in the criminology field are highly respected. You can work for individuals, organizations and even for the government. Hence, you will be needed in the society at large. It is not a boring career choice at all, as it puts you on a mission to reduce crime in the society.
Reference(s)
criminaljusticedegreehub.com – High Paying Criminology Careers
indeed.com – Jobs You Can Get With A Criminology Degree
online.maryville.edu – What Is Criminology
prospects.ac.uk – What Can I Do With My Degree Criminology
wikipedia.org