Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary Salary

SOC Code: 25-1111 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$71,470
Mean Salary
$84,820
Employment
13,560
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$45,640
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$143,130

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$45,640 25th percentile
$56,100 Median (50th)
$71,470 75th percentile
$99,730 90th percentile
$143,130

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
California$136,240$146,0401,300$65,240$239,200+
Colorado$101,880$102,490510$49,040$143,130
Wisconsin$97,290$99,340300$61,280$133,630
Maryland$95,410$82,500230$31,200$128,660
Oregon$82,400$97,77090$32,170$170,830
New York$80,960$95,7601,050$48,730$201,190
Minnesota$80,700$82,74090$54,590$105,780
Utah$79,700$77,93080$57,820$98,500
New Hampshire$79,620$80,62050$46,810$116,030
Louisiana$79,470$89,85070$54,360$118,950
Massachusetts$78,900$92,950390$48,430$135,890
Rhode Island$78,520$90,26070$48,890$126,660
Mississippi$78,280$86,910130$49,650$131,450
Wyoming$77,910$75,54030$60,550$99,160
Delaware$77,530$80,08030$50,220$107,790
Missouri$77,410$77,820250$37,760$130,520
Nevada$76,760$76,68070$50,770$105,760
Texas$76,580$86,2901,150$40,840$133,750
New Jersey$76,290$83,050380$39,120$130,000
Virginia$74,940$88,860280$41,860$158,150
Idaho$72,150$76,78030$36,450$116,590
Connecticut$71,990$80,170N/A$49,040$127,250
Pennsylvania$69,960$79,970810$45,900$130,700
Arizona$68,350$83,080400$55,500$152,890
Ohio$67,490$76,240510$34,210$124,980
Washington$66,680$70,570150$48,160$99,120
South Carolina$66,090$71,780120$48,070$120,970
Illinois$65,390$72,760370$40,020$118,260
West Virginia$65,350$74,23080$39,880$109,100
Vermont$65,280$72,00030$51,870$87,580
Nebraska$64,710$76,340110$47,130$120,810
District of Columbia$64,360$93,410N/A$49,790$173,430
Alabama$64,020$68,850170$44,470$102,080
New Mexico$63,850$66,09040$37,810$93,040
South Dakota$63,290$69,89030$56,630$84,330
Oklahoma$62,730$57,74080$30,350$70,600
Michigan$62,210$76,180330$40,550$129,030
Maine$61,720$67,11040$48,130$96,910
Georgia$61,540$68,430180$43,740$100,690
Tennessee$60,780$63,460160$44,870$81,630
North Carolina$60,080$60,1301,470$38,030$78,390
Florida$59,660$63,650850$47,440$82,230
Indiana$58,620$65,330230$47,940$97,810
Kentucky$58,320$61,57090$15,530$97,680
Arkansas$57,610$60,160110$46,440$73,910
Iowa$52,500$67,750260$51,920$89,290
Kansas$48,410$54,48090$35,710$78,580

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$214,870$191,080150
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$164,500$162,33060
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$163,770$173,250130
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$162,810$162,720120
Madison, WI$133,630$138,33050
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$128,040$112,130280
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$104,550$107,96080
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$103,940$121,140510
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$102,000$90,490120
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,740$118,09040
El Paso, TX$100,170$98,53050
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$83,030$86,05040
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$82,980$93,760N/A
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$82,600$101,930870
Springfield, MO$81,680$83,37050
Colorado Springs, CO$81,240$85,90060
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$80,360$98,870260
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$79,880$90,760180
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$79,690$92,350100
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$79,500$90,72060

About Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondarys earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.