It is possible to make six figures a year as police chief in one of the major metropolitan police departments. The Courts Jobs in the court sector, like probation and parole, have salaries that vary widely. Pre-employment in corrections or investigative work is usually the best preparation besides having a college degree. Raises are not that common, but when they happen, they are across the board and usually quite large. Don't forget that the permanent hiring of college interns takes place quite often in the judiciary branch of the criminal justice system.
Federal corrections approximates the pay of top states, and has better benefits.
Promotion is also much more rapid in this sector due to turnover. To maximize your income potential, consider large agencies with lots of job titles, especially civilian ones. Big cities are your best bet, but bigger is not necessarily better if the murder rate is higher than the mortality rate. If you like the idea of working at the county level, remember that when the U.S. was divided up, more counties were allocated down East than out West. Georgia, for example, has more counties than any other state.