The United States Department of Labor reported that the rate of job growth for various jobs related to criminal justice is increasing at a moderate to faster than average rate. Examples of criminal justice occupations that will be experiencing continuous national growth during the period of 2010 to 2020 include probation officers, correctional officers, correctional supervisors, correctional treatment specialists, police officers, detectives, special agents, private security guards, and gaming officers. One of the most salient reasons for this growing national demand centers upon the aging workforce in both the public and private sector of criminal justice-related occupations. With thousands of criminal justice practitioners set to retire in the next ten years, more mid to upper-level supervisory positions will become available for individuals with the appropriate level of education.[1]Hence, opportunities for promotion and growth within these fields will be more easily attainable in the future of law enforcement for those seeking employment in the field of criminal justice.

[1]Bureau of Justice Statistics, Justice Expenditure and Employment in the United States, 2007. Washington, D.C. Department of Justice, September 2010.

Employment	Education	Percent Growth*
Crime Scene Examiner	Bachelor degree and experience or master degree required for professional growth and promotion	20%
Detectives	Bachelor degree and experience or master degree required for professional growth and promotion	10%
Correctional Officer	Post-Secondary Education required. The correctional industry is one of the more accelerated fields for upward & professional growth	9%
Probation Officer	Bachelor degree and experience or master degree required for professional growth and promotion	19%
Private Investigator	Requirements vary by state	22%
Paralegal & Court Reporters	Bachelor degree required by most employers, graduate education or terminal degree preferred	28%
Lawyers	Bachelor/Master degree and law school requirements	13%
Gaming and Surveillance	Bachelor degree and experience or master degree required for professional growth and promotion	14%
Policing/Police Officers	Bachelor degree and experience or master degree required for professional growth and promotion	10%

Air Marshal	Homeland Security	Bachelor’s to Master’s
Bailiff	Legal	Bachelor’s
Border Patrol Agent	Homeland Security	Bachelor’s to Master’s
CIA Analyst	Homeland Security	Bachelor’s to Master’s
CIA Officer	Homeland Security	Bachelor’s to Master’s
Computer Forensics Investigator	Forensics	Bachelor’s to Master’s
Conservation Officer	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
Correctional Officer	Corrections	Bachelor’s
Correctional Treatment Specialist	Corrections	Bachelor’s to Master’s
Court Clerk	Legal	Associate’s
Crime Lab Analyst	Forensics	Bachelor’s
Crime Scene Investigator	Forensics/Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
Criminal Investigator	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
Criminal Law Paralegal	Legal	Associate’s to Bachelor’s
Customs and Border Protection Officer	Homeland Security	Bachelor’s
DEA Agent	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s to Master’s
Deputy Sheriff	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
Emergency Management Director	Homeland Security	Bachelor’s to Master’s
FBI Agent	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
Fire Investigator	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
Forensic Accountant	Forensics	Bachelor’s to Master’s
Forensic Anthropologist	Forensics	Master’s
Forensic Ballistics Expert	Forensics	Bachelor’s
Forensic Nurse	Forensics	Associate’s to Bachelor’s
Forensic Psychologist	Forensics	Doctorate
Fraud Investigator	Private Sector	High School to Bachelor’s
Homicide Detective	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
ICE Agent	Homeland Security	Bachelor’s to Master’s
Information Security Analyst	Private Sector	Bachelor’s to Master’s
Juvenile Probation Officer	Corrections	Bachelor’s to Master’s
Lawyer	Legal	Doctorate/ Law School
Narcotics Officer	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
Paralegal	Legal	Associate’s to Bachelor’s
Police Officer	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
Private Investigator	Private Sector	Bachelor’s
Probation Officer	Corrections	Bachelor’s to Master’s
Secret Service Agent	Homeland Security	Bachelor’s to Master’s
State Trooper	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor	Corrections	Master’s
Transit Police	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
United States Park Police	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s
US Marshal	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s to Master’s
Victims Advocate	Law Enforcement	Bachelor’s to Master’s