Average Salary With A Masters In Criminology or Criminal Justice

Many factors will influence your salary if you get your masters in criminology or criminal justice. A degree like this does not necessarily guarantee that you will enter into a specific type of occupation so income can vary. First you will learn the overall average salary range and then some of the factors that can influence how much you actually make.

The Average Salary

An average salary for a masters in criminology or criminal justice would be misleading. The salary that you can make with a criminal justice degree can start out at about $24,000 a year and with experience and the most lucrative positions in this field you could end up making as much as $170,000 a year. With such an astonishing range of salaries before you, you will surely wish to know what will influence your salary.

Your Job Title

You job and job title will be the big deciding factors. Positions tend to stay in the same pay range no matter what other factors are at play. Your average salary will start here.

The Company You Work With

The company that you work with will have a large impact on your salary. Bigger companies can often afford to pay more while smaller ones pay less. Your exact job will have more of an impact on how much you make but this detail will weigh in too.

The Type Of Work

Your pay will also depend upon whether you are an independent agent or a permanent employee at one company. If you do attempt to be an independent agent then your salary will depend upon what people are willing to pay you. This will largely be influenced by your experience.

Your Experience

More experience always commands more money. If you are just beginning in this field with no real experience then you will only receive a salary based on your masters in criminology or criminal justice. If you have more experience then that will give you added clout when you go to inquire about or negotiate a salary. The average salary with a masters in criminology or criminal justice is terribly difficult to pin down. Many jobs can be held with degrees like these so you have to look at the job you will be working and the other factors listed here. This is a degree that can take you many places. And the places where it takes you will affect your salary too.

Best Online Masters of Criminology & Criminal Justice College Programs

Drawing on sociology, psychology, and law to study the nature of criminal behavior within the individual and society as a whole forms the basis of criminology. Subsets of criminology include criminal justice, justice administration, and homeland security. An individual with a masters degree in criminology is prepared for a career in law enforcement, forensics, psychology, criminal justice administration, and more. Below is a list of the best colleges that offer online criminology and criminal justice master's programs.

Capella University Capella University's online MS in Criminal Justice program helps professions be more effective in their careers in corrections, criminal justice, or the judicial system. Students will deepen their understanding of the issues surrounding criminal behavior, as well as develop a thorough knowledge of public policy, effects of addiction, and the corrections and judicial systems. This is designed for caseworkers, probation officers, juvenile specialists, law enforcement agents and others in the criminal justice system.
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Walden University The Walden University MPA in criminal justice features a curriculum geared for criminal justice professionals. Students come from many facets of the industry, including policing, courts, corrections, security, and associated support agencies. This 66-credit hour program includes foundation, core, specialization, and capstone courses.
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Everest University The MS in Criminal Justice at Everest University balances theory and practicality with courses in law, ethics, criminology, statistics, management and victimology and teaches solid skills in research and critical thinking. There are also more job-related classes in juvenile justice, drug abuse, corrections, and criminal justice administration, to name a few. The program prepares its students for management-level positions in law enforcement.
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University of Phoenix The Masters of Science in Administration of Justice & Security at the University of Phoenix is an online program that teaches students to be administrators of criminal justice and security programs or organizations. Students learn critical incident management, cyber-crime, forensics, profiling, personal security and program development in addition to public policy issues.
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