How To Become A Crime Analyst: What It Is and Career Path

What is a crime analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Kimberly Retzlaff M.S.

Being a crime analyst is a chance to become Sherlock Holmes in real life. Crime analysts look for patterns and try to predict crimes based off of prior data. They work in conjunction with law enforcements to help prevent future crime.

Some of the responsibilities that they perform in this capacity include collecting data, using mapping software to focus on crime hotspots, analyzing police reports, and looking for trends to provide possible answers for a crime that has occurred and prevent future such crimes from occurring. Essential skills that they will need to demonstrate to be successful in this position include analytical, attention to detail, communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to identify patterns.

To qualify for this position, applicants will need a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, social sciences, or a related discipline. Moreover, prior work experience in roles such as data analysis, law enforcement, or similar would be advantageous. Understanding of GIS and Data Analytics is also desirable. The average hourly pay for this position is $20.93, which amounts to over $43,000 annually.

What general advice would you give to a crime analyst?

Kimberly Retzlaff M.S.

Professor/ Internship Coordinator, Lincoln

Maximizing your salary potential when starting your career in the criminal justice field requires strategic planning and proactive steps. The criminal justice field is a constantly evolving, often influenced by changes in law, technology, and society. It is important to stay informed about current trends, research findings, and emerging issues through ongoing education and professional development opportunities.

Knowledge is power! As a leader in research the SCCJ is constantly adapting to the needs of our communities and students offering curriculum that is current and up to date to address these areas of need. The SCCJ offers a variety of relevant courses to allow students to adequately prepare themselves with the educational and experiential learning opportunities. Be sure you prepare yourself to the fullest potential by pursuing higher education and specialization.

Currently there is a shortage of applicants in several areas of the criminal justice system. Law Enforcement, Probation and Victim Services are all areas currently in high demand and because of the demand salaries tend to be competitive. Opportunities are great for students graduating with a degree in criminology and criminal justice. The demand is high! The time is now!

ScoreCrime AnalystUS Average

Salary

4.7

Avg. Salary $60,253

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.1

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.67%

Asian 2.85%

Black or African American 12.52%

Hispanic or Latino 16.18%

Unknown 5.02%

White 62.76%

Gender

female 53.29%

male 46.71%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

6.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a crime analyst

Explore crime analyst education requirements

Most common crime analyst degrees

Bachelor's

67.9 %

Master's

14.1 %

Associate

11.0 %

Start to develop specific crime analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Criminal Justice	7.59%
AML	6.46%
Patrol	6.37%
Crime Analysis	5.90%
Law Enforcement Agencies	4.75%

Complete relevant crime analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New crime analysts learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a crime analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real crime analyst resumes.

Research crime analyst duties and responsibilities

Manage project team meetings using SharePoint calendars.
Combine SIGINT, IMINT, & HUMINT collections to develop trends and analysis of high value targets.
Analyze crime patterns and crime trends to show what areas need additional patrol.
Draft and serve subpoenas, search warrants, arrest warrants, and other court orders in support of criminal investigations.

Prepare your crime analyst resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your crime analyst resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a crime analyst resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable crime analyst resume templates

Build a professional crime analyst resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your crime analyst resume.