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Criminal justice lawyer salary
Average criminal justice lawyer salary
$49,977
Average Criminal Justice Lawyer Salary
The average salary for a criminal justice lawyer is approximately $49,977 per year, which translates to around $24 per hour. Factors influencing this figure include geographic location, years of experience, and specialization within the field. Lawyers just starting their careers may earn less, while those with significant experience or those in specialized roles often see higher salaries.
Salary Variation by State
Criminal justice lawyers can expect substantial salary differences depending on their state of practice. States known for higher salaries include California, New York, and Texas, where demand for legal expertise in criminal law is robust. For example, lawyers in California may earn upwards of $70,000 annually, reflecting the state's higher cost of living and competitive legal market.
Career Opportunities
Job seekers can enhance their prospects by targeting firms or organizations specializing in criminal law, public defense, or corporate legal departments. Networking within the legal community and pursuing continuing education can also provide significant advantages in this evolving field.
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Where can a Criminal Justice Lawyer earn more?
Criminal justice lawyer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level criminal justice lawyer | $29,000 | $13.94 |
| Mid-level criminal justice lawyer | $35,000 | $16.83 |
| Senior-level criminal justice lawyer | $73,400 | $35.30 |
Criminal justice lawyer salary estimates from across the web
Average criminal justice lawyer salary by state
The average criminal justice lawyer salary in California, Alaska, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average criminal justice lawyer salary states are Mississippi, Kentucky, and Montana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for criminal justice lawyers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $52,390 | $25.19 |
| 2 | Alaska | $54,323 | $26.12 |
| 3 | California | $62,480 | $30.04 |
| 4 | Nevada | $44,776 | $21.53 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $49,450 | $23.77 |
| 6 | Texas | $45,484 | $21.87 |
| 7 | Arizona | $46,363 | $22.29 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $43,695 | $21.01 |
| 9 | Virginia | $47,111 | $22.65 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $39,617 | $19.05 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $41,716 | $20.06 |
| 12 | Florida | $41,617 | $20.01 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $43,137 | $20.74 |
| 14 | Delaware | $41,900 | $20.14 |
| 15 | Oregon | $41,369 | $19.89 |
| 16 | Ohio | $39,322 | $18.90 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $46,811 | $22.51 |
| 18 | Maryland | $41,921 | $20.15 |
| 19 | Alabama | $38,938 | $18.72 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $39,858 | $19.16 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $43,015 | $20.68 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $39,823 | $19.15 |
| 23 | Utah | $41,472 | $19.94 |
| 24 | Colorado | $39,459 | $18.97 |
| 25 | Washington | $43,497 | $20.91 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $37,770 | $18.16 |
| 27 | Illinois | $42,230 | $20.30 |
| 28 | Georgia | $39,626 | $19.05 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $39,805 | $19.14 |
| 30 | Michigan | $38,678 | $18.60 |
| 31 | Indiana | $37,649 | $18.10 |
| 32 | Missouri | $38,288 | $18.41 |
| 33 | Vermont | $39,530 | $19.00 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $37,662 | $18.11 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $36,717 | $17.65 |
| 36 | Iowa | $37,134 | $17.85 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $35,945 | $17.28 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $39,649 | $19.06 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $36,780 | $17.68 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $34,923 | $16.79 |
| 41 | Montana | $34,136 | $16.41 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $36,962 | $17.77 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $35,541 | $17.09 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $36,145 | $17.38 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $36,032 | $17.32 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $34,200 | $16.44 |
| 47 | Maine | $32,116 | $15.44 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $34,353 | $16.52 |
| 49 | Kansas | $35,001 | $16.83 |
| 50 | Idaho | $33,986 | $16.34 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $27,195 | $13.07 |
Highest paying cities for criminal justice lawyers
The highest-paying cities for criminal justice lawyers are San Francisco, CA, Anchorage, AK, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $65,213 | $31.35 |
| 2 | Anchorage, AK | $55,169 | $26.52 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $52,531 | $25.26 |
| 4 | Huntsville, TX | $45,419 | $21.84 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $43,568 | $20.95 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $42,465 | $20.42 |
| 7 | Albany, OR | $41,964 | $20.18 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $41,929 | $20.16 |
| 9 | Gainesville, FL | $41,720 | $20.06 |
| 10 | Baton Rouge, LA | $39,955 | $19.21 |
| 11 | Colorado Springs, CO | $39,779 | $19.12 |
| 12 | Providence, RI | $39,761 | $19.12 |
| 13 | Bowling Green, OH | $39,617 | $19.05 |
| 14 | Marietta, GA | $39,517 | $19.00 |
| 15 | Detroit, MI | $38,724 | $18.62 |
| 16 | Springfield, MO | $38,116 | $18.32 |
| 17 | La Crosse, WI | $37,620 | $18.09 |
| 18 | West Des Moines, IA | $36,668 | $17.63 |
| 19 | Greensboro, NC | $36,149 | $17.38 |
Criminal justice lawyer salary details
A criminal justice lawyer's salary ranges from $32,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $76,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a criminal justice lawyer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $49,977 | $4,165 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
Highest paying criminal justice lawyer jobs
The highest paying types of criminal justice lawyers are corporate counsel, legal counsel, and general counsel.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing Counselor | $78,730 | $6,561 | $37.85 | 33,639 |
| Staff Attorney | $110,028 | $9,169 | $52.90 | 75,402 |
| Litigation Paralegal | $58,484 | $4,874 | $28.12 | 5,132 |
| Litigation Attorney | $109,027 | $9,086 | $52.42 | 6,918 |
| Contract Attorney | $97,474 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 13,592 |
| Attorney | $109,476 | $9,123 | $52.63 | 10,991 |
Top companies hiring criminal justice lawyers now:
Which companies pay criminal justice lawyers the most?
Criminal justice lawyer salaries at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and ACLU of Illinois are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average criminal justice lawyer salary at companies like City of Louisville and San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | $59,170 | $28.45 |
| 2 | ACLU of Illinois | $56,332 | $27.08 |
| 3 | City of Louisville | $53,851 | $25.89 |
| 4 | San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group | $53,642 | $25.79 |
| 5 | The City University of New York | $53,288 | $25.62 |
| 6 | Viterbo University | $52,707 | $25.34 |
| 7 | University of Colorado Boulder | $52,413 | $25.20 |
| 8 | United States Courts | $52,172 | $25.08 |
| 9 | Arapahoe County | $51,382 | $24.70 |
| 10 | Alachua County | $49,909 | $23.99 |
| 11 | Sam Houston State University | $48,255 | $23.20 |
| 12 | Alaska State Library | $48,090 | $23.12 |
| 13 | Kansas City Kansas Community College | $47,976 | $23.07 |
| 14 | Missouri State University | $47,826 | $22.99 |
| 15 | Americorps | $45,979 | $22.11 |
| 16 | Bryant & Stratton College | $45,426 | $21.84 |
| 17 | Robert Half | $44,905 | $21.59 |
| 18 | SUNY Delhi | $44,781 | $21.53 |
| 19 | State Of Florida | $41,752 | $20.07 |
| 20 | Florida Dept. of Health | $39,665 | $19.07 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Criminal Justice Lawyer salary by industry
The average criminal justice lawyer salary varies across industries:
- The average criminal justice lawyer salary in the professional industry is $50,030, the highest of any industry.
- The average criminal justice lawyer salary in the finance industry is $49,698.
- Criminal justice lawyers in the education industry earn an average salary of $46,029, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for criminal justice lawyers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $50,030 | $24.05 |
| 2 | Government | $49,698 | $23.89 |
| 3 | Health Care | $47,367 | $22.77 |
| 4 | Education | $46,029 | $22.13 |
High paying criminal justice lawyer jobs
Criminal justice lawyer salary trends
The average criminal justice lawyer salary has risen by $5,363 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average criminal justice lawyer earned $44,614 annually, but today, they earn $49,977 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for criminal justice lawyers over the last decade.
Compare criminal justice lawyer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average criminal justice lawyer salary over time
Compare criminal justice lawyer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Criminal justice lawyer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,000 | $24.03 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $48,400 | $23.28 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $47,600 | $22.89 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $47,000 | $22.57 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $46,500 | $22.37 | +2.0% |
Recently added criminal justice lawyer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centerstone | Criminal Justice Counselor | Carbondale, IL | 06/30/2025 | $48,300 |
| California State University System | Criminal Justice-Lecturer Pool | Fullerton, CA | 06/03/2025 | $66,084 |
| Aims Community College | Faculty, Criminal Justice (Early College Academy) | Greeley, CO | 05/31/2025 | $36,540 |
| Missoula County (Mt | Criminal Justice Clerk | Missoula, MT | 05/07/2025 | $40,008 |
| Intervention | Criminal Justice Technician (Male) | Lakewood, CO | 04/28/2025 | $34,436 |
| Helen Ross McNabb Center | Criminal Justice Navigator | Jefferson City, TN | 04/11/2025 | $52,488 |
| Northeastern University | Lecturer-Criminology and Criminal Justice | Boston, MA | 03/28/2025 | $24,384 |
| Intervention | Bilingual Criminal Justice Technician-(Female) | Greeley, CO | 03/15/2025 | $34,957 |
| Flathead Valley Community College | Criminal Justice, Faculty, Tenure Track | Kalispell, MT | 03/13/2025 | $53,500 |
| University of Michigan | Criminal Justice Reporter | Ann Arbor, MI | 02/20/2025 | $55,000 |
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