Entry Level Salary
$40,000
Median Salary
$76,692
Unemployment Rate
2.6%
Avg: 2.2%
Underemployment Rate
44.7%
Working non-college jobs
Earnings Trajectory
Lifetime: $3,067,680
Entry (Early)
$40,000
Median (Prime)
$76,692
High (Prime)
$78,000
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three "What-If" scenarios. While most students start at the Entry Level, calculating ROI using Median and High salaries helps illustrate the potential long-term payoff for top performers relative to the degree cost.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Entry Level
Median
High
$0 Cost
-95k
+216k
+227k
$25k / yr
-185k
+127k
+137k
$50k / yr
-275k
+37k
+47k
Break-even Age
Entry Level
Median
High
$0 Cost
Never
28
27
$25k / yr
Never
35
35
$50k / yr
Never
50
48
Return on Investment %
Entry Level
Median
High
$0 Cost
0%
∞
∞
$25k / yr
-170%
116%
126%
$50k / yr
-126%
17%
22%
Sensitivity Analysis Methodology: These grids assume you begin your career earning the salary specified in the column header (Entry Level = conservative baseline, Median/High = potential upside).
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Education Impact
Advanced Degree Rate25.6%
Analysis: Most graduates enter the workforce directly with a Bachelor's degree.
Top Professions
Police officers
7.1% of graduates map to this role
Growing
Entry Salary
$56,228
Median Salary (PUMS | BLS)
$77,000|$76,300
openings
53,900 /yr
Growth (10yr): +3.1%
Lawyers, judges, and related workers
4.8% of graduates map to this role
Growing
Entry Salary
$60,000
Median Salary (PUMS | BLS)
$100,000|$144,040
openings
34,400 /yr
Growth (10yr): +4%
Management occupations
3.6% of graduates map to this role
Growing
Entry Salary
$40,000
Median Salary (PUMS | BLS)
$84,413|$122,090
openings
1,147,900 /yr
Growth (10yr): +6.1%
Elementary and middle school teachers
2.7% of graduates map to this role
Stable
Entry Salary
$35,000
Median Salary (PUMS | BLS)
$51,000|$62,500
openings
132,400 /yr
Growth (10yr): -2%
Detectives and criminal investigators
2.3% of graduates map to this role
Stable
Entry Salary
$53,095
Median Salary (PUMS | BLS)
$81,218|$93,580
openings
7,800 /yr
Growth (10yr): -0.7%
Paralegals and legal assistants
2.3% of graduates map to this role
Growing
Entry Salary
$32,000
Median Salary (PUMS | BLS)
$53,000|$61,010
openings
39,300 /yr
Growth (10yr): +0.2%
Social workers, all other
2.0% of graduates map to this role
Growing
Entry Salary
$44,000
Median Salary (PUMS | BLS)
$56,000|$69,480
openings
7,000 /yr
Growth (10yr): +3.9%
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
1.9% of graduates map to this role
Growing
Entry Salary
$41,650
Median Salary (PUMS | BLS)
$54,145|$64,520
openings
7,900 /yr
Growth (10yr): +2.6%
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
1.6% of graduates map to this role
Stable
Entry Salary
$27,137
Median Salary (PUMS | BLS)
$56,634|$47,320
openings
125,100 /yr
Growth (10yr): -5%
Customer service representatives
1.5% of graduates map to this role
Stable
Entry Salary
$26,031
Median Salary (PUMS | BLS)
$41,644|$42,830
openings
341,700 /yr
Growth (10yr): -5.5%
About this Data:
- Entry: Median salary for graduates aged 27 and under (PUMS).
- Median (PUMS | BLS): Comparison of this major's graduates vs. the national market average for the role.
- Growth & Openings: 10-year national projections (2024–2034).
Program Variants & Earnings Ranges
Summary of specific program titles and credential levels mapped to this major, showing the range of earnings across different colleges.
| Program Title | Credential Level | # Colleges | Median Earnings Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| criminal justice and corrections. | Undergrad Certificate | 496 | $17,864 - $113,262 |
| criminal justice and corrections. | Associate's Degree | 1024 | $24,848 - $72,849 |
| criminal justice and corrections. | Bachelor's Degree | 870 | $21,931 - $106,465 |
| criminal justice and corrections. | Post-bacc Certificate | 12 | $74,889 - $132,191 |
| criminal justice and corrections. | Master's Degree | 289 | $27,039 - $148,025 |
| criminal justice and corrections. | Doctoral Degree | 31 | $85,639 - $109,172 |
| criminal justice and corrections. | Graduate Certificate | 23 | $75,547 - $97,509 |
| criminal justice and corrections. | Level 99 | 21 | $52,150 - $76,867 |
| criminology. | Associate's Degree | 13 | $44,516 - $46,346 |
| criminology. | Bachelor's Degree | 174 | $22,958 - $75,745 |
| criminology. | Master's Degree | 51 | $57,437 - $115,809 |
| criminology. | Doctoral Degree | 14 | Data N/A |
| criminology. | Graduate Certificate | 2 | $73,972 - $73,972 |
| criminology. | Level 99 | 7 | Data N/A |