Career Options for Students Pursuing Criminal Justice Degree Programs

Have you enrolled for a criminal justice degree after your high school? Are you among those students, who have hurriedly enrolled for a degree program without learning about its details or job prospects? Well, you need not worry about anything. A criminal justice degree opens doors to several job opportunities. Let’s have a look at some of the job prospects one can choose from after completing criminal justice degree program.

Some of the popular career options for students of criminal justice degree program are listed below:

Private detective or investigator- The records of Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that many students start a successful career as a private detective after completing their degree program. While some prefer to investigate cases personally, there are others, who assist the police forces or other detectives. Whatever be the choice of investigation, professionals working in this field can easily make earning around $48,610 every month. Also, there is not much risk with the career as these detectives are not hired for any criminal case. They are mostly appointed for background checks, settling compensation claims of workers or for investigating divorce cases.

Forensic Science Technician- As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is also another lucrative career option for students graduating with criminal justice degree. The salary of forensic science technician is around $55, 660 in most of the states. However, in some states like Illinois, Virginia,and California, the salary ranges between $61,000 and $74,050. If you are interested in these types of jobs, you can try for employment at courtrooms, hospitals, laboratories and government agencies.

Probation Officer- This is also a rewarding career option for students interested in pursuing a criminal justice degree program. Candidates working in this field can expect a salary of around $47,000. The best part is, the scope for working in this sector is increasing steeply and by 2020, this sector is expected to offer a surge of 18% in the employment rate.

Correctional Officer- Though the payout of correctional officers is less compared to the three job profiles mentioned above, it can also be a great choice for your career. While the salary of these officers is generally around $39,000, the work experience is completely different compared to the rest of the jobs. These jobs are mostly based in jails or correctional homes and you need to interact with the inmates as well as supervise them.

State Trooper- If you want to be the proctor of the law after completing your degree program, you can certainly opt for state trooper job. Professionals working in this field are mostly posted on the highways for inspecting the vehicles and ensuring that every vehicle meets the parameters set by the federal law. By getting employed in this profession, you can certainly earn a salary of not less than $55,000.

Fraud Investigator- Though this is a lucrative career option for students pursuing criminal justice, it might not be possible for you to get a breakthrough in this field just after completing your bachelor program. As the profession requires you to investigate claim cases and detect the fraudulent ones, you need to have specialized skills for identifying frauds. Therefore, candidates who have a couple of years experience as private investigators are more eligible for these jobs compared to the fresher. The starting salary in this profession is approximately around $58,000 and you can improve your earning with time.

Immigration and customs agent- As the name says, your work will be related to the customs department of the country and you will have to inspect, arrest or even deport people, who are illegally staying in the United States. Just the degree program is not enough to perform. If you want to sustain in this field, you need to keep yourself updated with the changing policies of the customs department.

There are several other job options. You just need to select the perfectly suited one for yourself.