Career Opportunities in Criminology
Some typical career opportunities:
- Parole Officer (federal, state, county)
- Probation Officer (federal, state, county)
- Social Work: court social worker or school social worker
- Criminal Justice Administration
- Federal Justice System (FBI, AFT, US Marshall, Border Patrol, DEA)
- State Justice System (Attorney General, Warden, State Police)
- County Justice System (Police, Sheriff, Coroner, CSW)
- Law
- Public Policy
- Government Administration (federal, state, county)
Salary Ranges
Starting salary will vary depending upon the area in which a person works in the criminal justice system and whether one works in the public or private sector.
- Most entry-level positions in court social work, parole and/or probation work, with a B. A., will start at $30,000.
- School social workers' starting salaries (with Master Degrees) are approximately $45,000.
- A Masters Degree in Sociology/Criminology, working within a state agency, can start at $55,000.
- Advanced salaries can range in school social work and court social work up to $50-60,000. In the private research/government sector, with a Masters Degree in policy, sociology or criminology, salaries can range from $60,000 and up.
Career Opportunities for Sociology Majors
Immaculata students who have majored in Sociology have 'real' jobs!
Successful Graduates
Darcie Goldberg '93
Director of Chester County Arts Association
West Chester, PA
Mary Crowley McDonald '66
Superintendent of Schools of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis
Memphis, TN
- Many students obtain teacher's certification in Sociology because it helps them understand the social processes of education and to become culturally competent
- Some obtain positions within government, such as agencies that develop services for the aged or the Census Bureau
- Sociology/Social Work majors pursue careers directly in Social Services
- Still others have utilized their Sociology background to develop careers in advertising, human resources, the insurance industry, non-profit agencies that develop or promote health or social programs
- Others have developed business careers that involve international relations or travel or living within another culture
- Still others have applied their Sociology major to careers in the criminal justice system engaging in probation, parole, or developing programs within correctional facilities
Salary Ranges
Salary ranges vary considerably as a major in sociology can be applied to a career in social work, criminology or criminal justice, business, education, etc:
- Starting salaries with a B.A. in the social work field are approximately $30,000 and are higher in school or court settings
- With a Masters in Social Work, entry-level salaries are approximately $40,000 to $55,000. In the private sector, they are higher
- Starting salaries for parole, probation, county and federal jobs in the criminal justice field with a B. A. are approximately $35,000 to $45,000
- With a Masters in Sociology/Policy/Criminology in a government or research position, they can range as high as $60,000 and up. Salaries in the administrative correctional system at the state and federal level that require experience and advanced education are approximately $60,000 and higher