Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary in the U.S. is $76,590, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $76,590
- Mean annual wage
- $87,550
- Median hourly wage
- —
- Employment
- 13,150
13,150 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,000 | — |
| 25th percentile | $60,020 | — |
| Median (50th) | $76,590 | — |
| 75th percentile | $100,870 | — |
| 90th percentile | $140,240 | — |
Highest-paying states for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $139,720 | 1,460 |
| Colorado | $122,050 | 370 |
| Maryland | $99,600 | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | $94,710 | 790 |
| Oregon | $93,960 | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $84,270 | 70 |
| Minnesota | $83,060 | 100 |
| New York | $82,770 | 880 |
| Louisiana | $82,100 | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $81,890 | 300 |
Lowest-paying states
- Kansas: $50,270 median annual wage
- Kentucky: $60,280 median annual wage
- Florida: $61,550 median annual wage
- Nebraska: $61,650 median annual wage
- Tennessee: $62,090 median annual wage
About this occupation
Teach courses in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement administration. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Typical tasks
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
- Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Doctoral or professional degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.6% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.7% |
| Some college, no degree | 2.0% |
| Associate's degree | 1.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 15.1% |
| Master's degree | 30.6% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 48.5% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
- Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140
- Self-Enrichment Teachers$46,800
- Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$65,120
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.