Criminologist

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Work Tasks

• Study crime and criminal behavior
• Study police, courts, prisons, probation, and other ways society deals with crime
• Study how laws affect the behavior of criminals
• Suggest ways to make laws better and ways to prevent crime
• Work for the government, educational institutions, research and testing services, and businesses
• Work with surveys, census data, historical documents, records, statistics, attitude scales, and case histories

Salary, Size & Growth

• $66,500 average per year ($32.00 per hour)
• A small occupation (3,700 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.2% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 4-year degree in criminology, sociology, psychology, or a related field is needed for assistant or trainee jobs.
• Employers Prefer: A master's degree is needed for many jobs in government, and a Ph.D. is needed for college teaching or research.
• Skills/Courses: College courses include statistics, writing, computer science, logic, sociology, psychology, and criminology.