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The differences between criminal justice instructors and criminal justice lawyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a criminal justice instructor and a criminal justice lawyer. Additionally, a criminal justice instructor has an average salary of $52,523, which is higher than the $49,977 average annual salary of a criminal justice lawyer.
The top three skills for a criminal justice instructor include criminal justice, law enforcement and student learning. The most important skills for a criminal justice lawyer are criminal justice, semester, and public safety.
| Criminal Justice Instructor | Criminal Justice Lawyer | |
| Yearly salary | $52,523 | $49,977 |
| Hourly rate | $25.25 | $24.03 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 24,893 | 824 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A criminal justice instructor teaches students criminal justice-related courses. As an instructor, they must develop syllabi and course plans, prepare lectures, prepare learning materials such as presentations and visual aids, administer examinations, and grade students. In addition to facilitating discussions about different criminal justice theories, an instructor may also participate in research studies and coordinate with other instructors for committee works.
A criminal justice lawyer is responsible for representing clients in court with criminal charges and defends them according to legal requirements and procedures. Criminal justice lawyers analyze the case by undergoing in-depth research and investigation that would support settlement claims. They reference laws and state regulations to identify the clients' options for case resolution. A criminal justice lawyer must have extensive knowledge of the legal industry, as well as possessing excellent critical-thinking skills to strategize appeals and negotiate pleas on trials.
Criminal justice instructors and criminal justice lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Criminal Justice Instructor | Criminal Justice Lawyer | |
| Average salary | $52,523 | $49,977 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $82,000 | Between $32,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Kern Community College District | Indiana University of Pennsylvania |
| Best paying industry | Education | Professional |
There are a few differences between a criminal justice instructor and a criminal justice lawyer in terms of educational background:
| Criminal Justice Instructor | Criminal Justice Lawyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between criminal justice instructors' and criminal justice lawyers' demographics:
| Criminal Justice Instructor | Criminal Justice Lawyer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.6% Female, 35.4% | Male, 48.9% Female, 51.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 10% |