If you’re interested in human behaviour and all things crime, then criminology may be a rewarding career choice for you. The field goes beyond the type of forensic work you see on TV – criminology degree jobs cover a surprising range of roles and responsibilities.
A criminology degree can take you many places. You might work in the police force, become a private investigator or help the community as a social worker. Criminology studies focus on the scientific, theoretical and psychological aspects of crime and criminal behaviour, and the skills you learn can help inform legislation and even prevent crimes from happening in the first place.
There are many criminology career paths you can pursue, each with its own focus areas. These include:
Your degree can help you carve out a challenging but rewarding career that positively impacts lives.
Many bachelor of criminology jobs require you to investigate and understand the motivations behind criminal behaviour. Your degree will teach you some of the skills needed to be able to predict and prevent crime, and include studies in socio-politics, law and ethics. Where you implement these skills to grow in your career depends on your own interests.
A police officer’s main role is to enforce the law, with the goal of maintaining community safety. Responsibilities include:
A degree in criminology can help you become a police officer in Australia, teaching you about criminal behaviour, law enforcement procedures, media communication and community engagement. A criminology degree could also be the starting point for a graduate placement with the Australian Federal Police, which opens the door to exciting careers in intelligence, criminal justice, counterterrorism and national security.
Average salary: $107,000 (probationary officers start at around $65,000 per annum)
A private investigator works with clients on a wide variety of matters, gathering information to support legal cases. As a PI, you may be asked to:
You may have to attend court to provide statements in cases relating to relationship breakdowns, unfair dismissals, missing persons, insurance claims and more. Private investigators perform the duty of a sheriff (called a bailiff in WA) or a document server to locate and serve people court or legal documents or summons. Private investigators rely on their skills in human behaviour to gather evidence and often need knowledge of the law, making a degree in criminology a useful first step.
Average salary: if you are a freelance private investigator, you set your own hourly and day rates. Private investigation agencies may charge clients up to $1,000 a day for surveillance.
A security consultant specialises in analysing the security of a property, organisation and/or computer system, locating vulnerabilities, assessing threats and maintaining protective measures. Also known as security analysts, security consultants need in-depth knowledge of the tactics used by hackers and scammers to be able to reduce their opportunities for access. This is where criminology career paths and degrees can help in the field of security.
If you’re interested in a career in security consulting, there are different study options within your criminology degree to steer you in this direction. For example, security and defence studies can help you land government jobs, while cyber-security studies will help you in a career in cyber intelligence for government or corporate bodies.
Average salary: $140,000 – $160,000 per annum.
Criminology diplomas and degrees can help you pursue a career as a legal assistant. Knowledge of the law and the justice system is crucial to successfully performing administrative duties in legal offices. The responsibilities of a legal assistant include:
There is a high demand for legal assistants in Australia, with entry-level jobs starting from around $70k. You don’t need to be a lawyer or study a law degree to be a legal assistant, but a criminology degree can help by giving you knowledge of how the justice system works.
Average salary: $78,000 per annum.
Paralegals support lawyers in delivering legal services, but are not qualified to provide legal advice or work without the supervision of a registered legal professional. Unlike legal assistants, a paralegal can charge clients for their time. The day-to-day duties of a paralegal may include:
Career paths in criminology can lead you to the paralegal profession by giving you an understanding of the justice system and legal procedures. You may be able to bypass having a certificate in legal services if you have a criminology degree.
Average salary: $75,000 per annum.
Another potential criminology degree job is correctional officer or prison officer. The typical correctional officer maintains the security and safety of inmates, prison staff and the facility, but there are other areas you can specialise in. For example, you may decide to work with convicted people in offender diversion programs, supervise prison industrial programs or supervise field worksites.
While no formal qualifications are needed to become a correctional officer, a bachelor of criminology can give you valuable insights into the legal system. The knowledge you gain in your degree can also help you work with inmates and set you up for a career as a probations officer or resident manager of a prison.
Average salary: $73,000 per annum.
The profession of intelligence analyst or intelligence officer is another exciting career option for criminology graduates. As an intelligence analyst, you work in identifying, interpreting and analysing criminal threats to national security. Your days would be spent:
As an intelligence analyst, you’ll be able to apply at a range of agencies with high security clearance protocols, like ASIO or the AFP. Having theoretical knowledge of criminal behaviour and foundational studies in counterterrorism is important for this type of career. A bachelor degree in criminology, science, social sciences, international relations, politics or similar is a great first step.
Average salary: trainee intelligence officers at ASIO earn $89,990 – $124,099 per annum.
Similar to a PI, an investigator is hired by members of the public, insurance companies or legal agencies to gather data to support a claim or legal case. For example, an investigator may be hired by an insurance company to gather video and photographic evidence of someone making a false injury claim. This evidence may be used in court and the investigator may be asked to be a witness in court.
A thorough understanding of the legal system and human psychology is very important for an investigator. A criminology degree can also help kick off a career path to becoming a criminal investigator, a crime scene investigator, or an investigative psychologist.
Average salary: $95,000
Youth workers have a rewarding career working with young people going through behavioural, developmental, social and welfare issues. You may work with youth one-on-one or in groups, providing practical and emotional support to help with:
Where there are more complex issues to address, you will collaborate with other professionals such as psychologists to support the person based on their needs. You don’t need a formal qualification to start a career in youth work, but a degree in criminology or welfare will be highly regarded. These degrees give you knowledge of behavioural psychology, interpersonal communication and the legal system, to help you navigate different cases.
Average salary: $78,000
Social workers play an important role in Australian communities, helping individuals, groups and disadvantaged and marginalised people receive support. They provide case management, counselling and advocacy services across a range of issues including:
While a bachelor degree in social work is the standard entryway to becoming a social worker, pairing your studies with criminology will give you a greater understanding of the Australian legal system. A social worker with a criminology degree can go on to work in child protection, criminal justice, youth justice and more.
Average salary: $93,000
A case manager is responsible for monitoring individuals who need support. This can include people with disabilities, chronic illnesses or other special needs. As a case manager, you may also help your clients navigate different government or agency systems by providing advice and guidance.
As a case manager, you may work with companies and healthcare facilities like:
To get into a career as a caseworker, you usually complete a bachelor’s in social work or a diploma in community services, however a criminology degree can help in fields related to the legal system and the public sector in general.
Average salary: $83,000
Thanks to dramatic media depictions, the role of forensic scientist working on crime scenes is an appealing career path for many. As a forensic scientist, you’ll collect and analyse samples from crime scenes like:
Your analyses will help provide evidence to support legal cases.
A career as a forensic investigator requires studies in forensic science, however there are special degrees in Australia that combine criminology with forensic science. They take up to five years to complete and allow you to pursue a career as a forensic molecular biologist, a forensic toxicologist or an expert in DNA.
Average salary: a senior forensic scientist earns around $120,000 in the public sector.
Becoming a human resources officer is one of the more unexpected career paths for criminology graduates. A degree in criminology gives you knowledge of human psychology, conflict resolution and interpersonal relationships – all important aspects of being an effective human resources officer. You can put your criminology skills to use by applying for human resources roles in legal or government agencies, such as law firms, police departments and the defence force.
Average salary: $80,000
There are countless career paths in criminology once you have your bachelor’s degree. If you’re attracted to roles in criminology, you can become a police officer, intelligence analyst, private investigator, forensic psychologist or corrections officer. If you’re interested in hands-on roles that help the community, you can use your knowledge to become a case manager, youth worker or social worker.
If you’re thinking of studying criminology, research which degrees offer studies specific to your field of interest. If you’ve recently graduated and you’re not sure what the next step is, explore outside of typical criminology jobs, as your knowledge of psychology and the legal system opens you up to a wide range of different careers.