The salary for a career in criminal justice depends on the area you choose to focus on. Correctional officers make an average annual salary of $42,820. Police officers and law enforcement agents average $61,600, while private investigators make $48,190. A forensic psychologist’s average salary is $75,230, while forensic science technicians average $56,750. If you’re more interested in criminal law or the legal profession, paralegals and legal secretaries average $49,500 annually, while criminal lawyers can average as much as $118,160 per year.