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Online Master's in Criminal Justice Jobs and Salary Outlook

Align Your Career With Your Passion for Criminal Justice

Gain real-world skills and experience

Receive personalized career advising

With a master’s degree, jobs in the criminal justice field expand beyond rank and file and offer greater salary potential. According to Payscale, the average base salary for those with a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice is $64,000; higher-than-average salaries are reported for security managers, security directors, special agents and detectives with criminal investigation skills.1

Take the next step in your career with the unique opportunities at Michigan State University.

  • Specialize in security management
  • Build skills with industry-relevant internships
  • Network with potential employers

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Apply Your Master’s Degree to Diverse Jobs

Police Supervisor $106,000 mean annual wage2

Special Agent $92,806 average base salary3

Detective or Criminal Investigator $91,100 median annual wage4

Security Manager $80,709 average base salary5

Discover Rewarding Criminal Justice Careers

In a field as broad as criminal justice, earning your master’s degree can lead you to diverse careers. Depending on your goals, you could pursue a job as a detective, special agent, security manager, criminal justice instructor, crime analyst, policy consultant and more.

At MSU, we connect our students with employers like the Michigan Department of Corrections, the Michigan State Police, the Drug Enforcement Agency, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler and the U.S. Secret Service.

  • In 2023, supervisors of police and detectives in the U.S. earned an average annual wage of $103,740 in local government jobs and $110,550 in state government jobs2
  • About 64,500 openings for police and detectives are projected in the U.S. each year, on average, from 2022 to 20324
  • The highest pay for a security manager in the U.S. is $144,000 per year as of May 20245

Program Outcomes and Skills Acquired

What You’ll Learn

  • Apply analytical skills to better understand crime and criminal justice issues
  • Understand the management and operation of criminal justice organizations to accomplish goals
  • Evaluate the quality of research methods and how such influences confidence in research findings
  • Identify a crime or justice problem and a policy to address it
  • Communicate effectively through writing

Skills You’ll Gain

  • Data analysis
  • Documentation
  • Management techniques
  • Research methods
  • Research methods

Helping You Find and Prepare for Your Ideal Career

Your new criminal justice skills can lead you to an array of careers in the field, but how do you know which one you’d like? MSU offers several career services that can help you narrow down your ideal position and set you up for success.

Alumni Connections

Connect with a vast network of alumni to get a glimpse of the different careers available after earning your degree.

Internships

Work as an intern at an approved criminal justice agency and receive academic credit.

Industry Partnerships

Benefit from partnerships with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Michigan Intelligence Operations Center, the MSU Police and more.

Career Advising

Leverage career advice from experts before you graduate so that you’re prepared to take the next step.

Sources

  1. Payscale. ” Master of Arts (MA), Criminal Justice Degree.” September 26, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2024, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Degree=Master_of_Arts_(MA)%2C_Criminal_Justice/Salary.
  2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023: 33-1012 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives.” Retrieved June 4, 2024, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes331012.htm.
  3. PayScale. “Average Special Agent (Federal) Salary.” December 22, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2024, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Special_Agent_(Federal)/Salary.
  4. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Police and Detectives.” April 17, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/police-and-detectives.htm.
  5. PayScale. “Average Security Manager Salary.” May 22, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Security_Manager/Salary.