{"id":24678,"date":"2026-09-02T21:58:43","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T21:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.degreequery.com\/?page_id=24678---c6708530-d6be-4f0a-b29b-ccf64f6de001"},"modified":"2026-09-28T18:49:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T18:49:02","slug":"what-are-some-job-titles-i-could-look-at-being-qualified-for-with-a-criminal-justice-associates-degree","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.degreequery.com\/associates-degrees\/what-are-some-job-titles-i-could-look-at-being-qualified-for-with-a-criminal-justice-associates-degree\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are Some Job Titles I Could Look at Being Qualified for With a Criminal Justice Associate\u2019s Degree?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a lot you can do with an associate\u2019s degree in criminal justice<\/a>, which happens to be one of the fastest online associate\u2019s degrees<\/a> a student could pursue. Whether you end your college education at the associate\u2019s degree level or use your associate\u2019s degree as a starting point for a higher level of education, this is a field in which many different careers are available. In fact, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a> (BLS) recognizes 27 different crime-related occupations, ranging from the obvious \u2013 police officers and jailers \u2013 to the often unheard-of, like locksmiths and safe repairers. The BLS divides these professions into two categories: those focused on monitoring crime and catching criminals and those that revolve around trying criminal cases in court and on punishment in the criminal justice system. An associate\u2019s degree in criminal justice will qualify you for at least entry-level roles in many of these occupations.<\/p>\n

Police Officer<\/h2>\n

If there\u2019s one career most closely related to a criminal justice education, it\u2019s likely that of police officer. These sworn law enforcement personnel perform duties that range from patrol and responding to emergency calls to apprehending suspects with an arrest warrant issued. Police officers may work in general law enforcement or handle crimes of a specific nature.<\/p>\n

How does an associate\u2019s degree prepare you to be a police officer? In many states, you don\u2019t necessarily need a college education at all to work in this field, according to the BLS. What is most important in preparing for this role is academy training in laws, emergency response, civil rights, police ethics, traffic control, first aid and firearm use and self-defense training. However, completing an associate\u2019s degree program in criminal justice \u2013 especially an accelerated program that condenses your studies into as little as 12 months of coursework \u2013 gives you a stronger foundation. You may also benefit from salary incentives<\/a> for having a college education, which can take the form of a percentage-based pay increase of up to 10 percent or a flat-rate bonus, paid monthly or annually, that can be as much as $2,000.<\/p>\n

Nearly one-quarter of all police patrol officers have an associate\u2019s degree, according to O*NET<\/a>. Having an associate\u2019s degree actually places you among the most highly educated workers in this occupation, in which 35 percent have only a high school diploma and 27 percent have a post-secondary certificate.<\/p>\n

For some police officer roles, you may need a bachelor\u2019s degree to qualify, or at least you may benefit from having a four-year degree. If you want to work in a federal law enforcement agency, you\u2019re likely to need a bachelor\u2019s degree, the BLS reported. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Criminal Investigator or Private Detective<\/h2>\n

An associate\u2019s degree is often enough formal college education to prepare you for a career in investigating crimes, whether as a police detective or a private investigator. Criminal investigators that are part of the police force often begin their careers in entry-level police officer roles, with the same educational requirements as other officers, and work their way up to more exciting and prestigious detective roles over the course of their careers.<\/p>\n

Private detectives, on the other hand, most commonly work for the investigation, guard and armored car services industry, the finance and insurance industry, the government or themselves, the BLS reported. They may come from diverse backgrounds and often have extensive experience in a relevant career or specialized knowledge or skills in deduction. For private detectives, it\u2019s often your results, reputation and skills, rather than your formal college experience, that matters most. A criminal justice curriculum at the associate\u2019s degree program lays the groundwork for success not only in private investigator roles but also in the many different careers related to this occupation, from bill collector and insurance claims adjustor to paralegal and law enforcement officer.<\/p>\n

Among police detectives, an associate\u2019s degree is the second most common level of education, accounting for 19 percent of the profession, O*NET<\/a> reported. The largest share of police detectives \u2013 38 percent \u2013 report having only a high school diploma. The percentage of private investigators who have an associate\u2019s degree is similar, at 16 percent, O*NET reported. However, as a whole, the private investigator occupation tends to be more highly educated than the police detective occupation, with 38 percent of private investigators holding a bachelor\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

The noted that private investigator is often a second career for former police detectives or military intelligence personnel who start their service roles young and are able to retire from these roles early. Indeed, the average age of a <\/strong>private detective<\/strong><\/a> in the U.S. is 44. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Criminal Prosecution or Defense Paralegal<\/h2>\n

If it\u2019s the legal aspects of the criminal justice system that most interest you, rather than responding to crimes and catching criminals, then you can leverage your associate\u2019s degree to work as a paralegal. In matters of criminal law, both the prosecution and the accused\u2019s defense have need of the skills of these legal paraprofessionals, who work alongside licensed attorneys to handle tasks that include investigation, research and the drafting of legal documents.<\/p>\n

Although the BLS<\/a> considers an associate\u2019s degree to be the level of education needed for an entry-level paralegal position, many candidates choose a paralegal degree program<\/a> over a criminal justice program. Paralegal programs place more emphasis on developing the skills you need to handle the types of work most commonly delegated by attorneys \u2013 but they also include studies in all areas of law, not only the criminal justice matters that interest you.<\/p>\n

Learn more about what degree you need to be a paralegal.<\/a><\/p>\n

You can make your criminal justice associate\u2019s degree studies more relevant to a legal assistant career by using elective courses to learn skills like legal research and writing or by going on to complete an additional paralegal certificate program, The Houston Chronicle<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n

Other career options with an associate\u2019s degree, if you want to work in a courtroom, include <\/strong>court clerk<\/strong><\/a>, for which 10 percent of the occupation holds this level of degree, and <\/strong>court reporter<\/strong><\/a>, for which 34 percent of the occupation has this level of degree. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Correctional Officer<\/h2>\n

After a criminal conviction, a lawbreaker may be sent to jail or prison. In a role as a correctional officer, or prison guard, you would be in charge of supervising inmates and maintaining the order and safety of a correctional facility. Although this job is an important one, it\u2019s generally not one that requires a great deal of formal education. In fact, only two percent of correctional officers<\/a> have an associate\u2019s degree, making them the most highly educated workers in an occupation in which 88 percent of workers report having only a high school diploma. Generally, correctional officers develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their jobs not in college but instead through months-long training at an academy, the BLS reported.<\/p>\n

Academy training is paid, but at a lower rate than you would expect to earn once you complete your training and are a fully qualified correctional officer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Related Resources:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Exciting Jobs: The Top 15 Jobs for Adrenaline Seekers<\/a><\/p>\n

What Degree Do You Need to Be a Private Investigator?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a lot you can do with an associate\u2019s degree in criminal justice, which happens to be one of the fastest online associate\u2019s degrees […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":12505,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"mobius_hide_qdf":false,"mobius_hide_el":false,"mobius_limit":"","mobius_degree":"associates","mobius_category":"criminal-justice-and-legal","mobius_subject":"criminal-justice","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-24678","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Are Some Job Titles I Could Look at Being Qualified for With a Criminal Justice Associate\u2019s Degree? - DegreeQuery.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.degreequery.com\/associates-degrees\/what-are-some-job-titles-i-could-look-at-being-qualified-for-with-a-criminal-justice-associates-degree\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Are Some Job Titles I Could Look at Being Qualified for With a Criminal Justice Associate\u2019s Degree? 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