Jobs

• The type of job is the primary factor for salaries. Payscale reports that, as of September 2010, criminal investigators earn $43,576 to $82,445 annually, police patrol officers make $36,016 to $60,351 and jailers get $26,778 to $48,030.
  
  

Experience

• More experience means higher salaries, with new graduates with a criminal justice degree earning an average of $35,610. Those with one to four years of work earn $38,905, while those with five to nine years get $48,080. People with 10 to 19 years experience receive $52,358.
  
  

City

• The job location can affect salary. People with criminal justice degrees in New York earn the most at $61,600, followed by Dallas at $60,934 and Washington, D.C., at $60,154. Those in Philadelphia make $45,000, while those in Chicago make $55,269.