Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations · 13K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$76,590
Median hourly
$37
Average annual
$87,550
Typical range
$45,000–$140,240
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary is $76,590 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $37 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $45,000 and $140,240 a year. There are roughly 13K people employed as criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary.
- Hourly
- $36.82
- Daily
- $295
- Weekly
- $1,473
- Bi-weekly
- $2,946
- Monthly
- $6,383
- Annual
- $76,590
$76,590 a year is around the 50th percentile for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys. The median is $76,590.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$139,720
- 2Colorado$122,050
- 3Maryland$99,600
- 4Pennsylvania$94,710
- 5Oregon$93,960
- 6Rhode Island$84,270
- 7Minnesota$83,060
- 8New York$82,770
- 9Louisiana$82,100
- 10Wisconsin$81,890
- 11Delaware$80,510
- 12Iowa$79,690
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$223,240
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$170,070
- 3San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$168,410
- 4Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$139,790
- 5Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$137,340
- 6Bakersfield-Delano, CA$122,730
- 7Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$105,680
- 8Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$103,870
- 9Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$97,380
- 10Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$93,990
- 11Pittsburgh, PA$93,670
- 12New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$86,690
Related job titles
Employers advertise Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary roles under these titles.
- Adjunct Criminal Justice Instructor
- Criminal Justice Adjunct Instructor
- Criminal Justice Assistant Professor
- Criminal Justice Associate Instructor
- Criminal Justice Faculty Member
- Criminal Justice Instructor
- Criminal Justice Professor
- Criminal Justice Specialist
- Criminology Professor
- Criminology Teacher
- Digital Forensics Instructor
- Justice Professor
- Penology Professor
- Penology Teacher
Related occupations
- Law Teachers, Postsecondary$128,500
- Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary$84,290
- Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary$98,070
- Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary$77,570
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary$75,350
- Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary$80,340
- Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary$80,340
- Business Teachers, Postsecondary$99,080
What a Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary does
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as criminal law, defensive policing, and investigation techniques.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
- Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary make?
- The median annual wage for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary is $76,590 ($37 per hour). Pay ranges from about $45,000 at the 10th percentile to $140,240 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $87,550, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondarys the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $139,720.
- Is Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 13K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary do?
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as criminal law, defensive policing, and investigation techniques.; Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.; Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers..