In most cases, criminal justice courses will be required for entry into law enforcement academies and a bachelor degree in criminal justice will be required for entry-level Maryland criminal justice jobs. Often, future law students select criminal justice as their undergraduate major in preparation for law school.
A few examples of common criminal justice career choices include probation officer, police patrol officer, correctional treatment specialist and sheriff’s patrol officer. According to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 648,000 police and sheriff’s patrol officers were working in the U.S. in 2006 earning an annual average income of $52,810. Data from the same report shows that 94,000 probation officers and correctional treatment specialists were working in the U.S. in the same year, making $42,500 per year on average. Job opportunities in each of these careers in the criminal justice field are expected to expand by 11% by 2016, which means there will be an anticipated 80,000 additional criminal justice jobs across the country just in these four professions. Maryland criminal justice jobs can be expected to experience a similar expansion.
If you are ready to take the next step towards becoming a Maryland criminal justice professional, or would like to receive more information about criminal justice careers, browse through the comprehensive list of schools offering Maryland criminal justice programs listed below.