Criminology

Social Sciences

Criminology graduates with a bachelor's typically earned about $55,413, measured a few years after finishing (median across US programs, College Scorecard).
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Median earnings by degree level

Earnings range across schools, by degree levelEach row is a degree level: the bar is the middle half of schools' program medians (25th to 75th percentile) and the dot is the overall median. Bachelor's median $55,413, $50,112 to $59,340; Master's median $65,307, $58,962 to $70,574.$50k$60k$71kBachelor's$55,413Master's$65,307
DegreeMedian earningsTypical rangeSchoolsClear the bar
Bachelor's Degree$55,413$50,112 to $59,34012098%
Master's Degree$65,307$58,962 to $70,57419100%

"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.

Job outlook

Projected employment growth +4% (2024 to 2034), about 122,700 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.

OccupationMedian payGrowthOpenings/yr
Managers, All Other$136,550+4.5%106,700
Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$60,130+3.5%10,600
Psychologists, All Other$117,580+4.3%3,900
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary$71,470+2%1,200
Sociologists$101,690+3.6%300

Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.

Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.