Law & Public
What Can You Do With a Criminal Justice Degree?
Study the justice system, from law enforcement to courts and corrections. Graduates earn a median $50,000 early in their careers and $80,000 by mid-career. We track 6 careers that a Criminal Justice degree commonly leads to, with median pay from $66,270 to $159,670 depending on the role and how far you take it.
How these numbers work: A major does not have its own salary. Early and mid-career pay is what people who hold this degree earn at the start of their careers and midway through them. Career pay comes from the 6 careers a Criminal Justice degree commonly leads to, and counts everyone in those jobs, including people who have been doing them for thirty years. The two answer different questions, which is why they do not match.
Careers this major leads to
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Frequently asked questions
What can you do with a Criminal Justice degree?
A Criminal Justice degree commonly leads to 6 careers we track, including Lawyer / Attorney, Detective / Criminal Investigator, and Emergency Management Director. Graduates earn a median $50,000 early in their careers.
How much do Criminal Justice majors make?
Graduates with a Criminal Justice degree earn a median of $50,000 a year early in their careers, and $80,000 by mid-career (Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2024 data).
What jobs can a Criminal Justice major get?
Common roles include Lawyer / Attorney, Detective / Criminal Investigator, Emergency Management Director, and Criminal Justice / Law Enforcement. Lawyer / Attorney is among the higher-paying, at $159,670 median.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Early and mid-career pay is the median annual wage of full-time workers who hold a bachelor's degree in that major, ages 22 to 27 and ages 35 to 45, from 2024 data. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (IPUMS). Published as Outcomes by Major by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).