The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment opportunities for criminal justice specialists will grow as fast as the average occupation through 2014. Many openings for criminal justice specialists will be the result of retirements. At the same time, the competition for these jobs is not high because the career tends to be stressful and is not accompanied by a high salary.
Similarly, there is a potential for an increased need for criminal justice specialists because prisons are facing budgetary problems that are placing a restriction on the number of individuals who can be incarcerated. In addition, an emphasis is increasingly being placed on rehabilitation. Of course, the final amount of positions available in the field is largely dependent upon government funding.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median income for criminal justice specialists in 2004 was $39,600. Those who work for the State government earned $39,810 during that same period. Those working for the local government, on the other hand, earned $40,560. Those earning the highest incomes worked in urban areas.
