Education & Library
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary
Also called: Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor
US median pay
$76,590
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+1.5%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
1,100
15,700 employed
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Teach courses in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement administration. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
What they do day to day
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as criminal law, defensive policing, and investigation techniques.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
- Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Instructing4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Systems Analysis3.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1/5
- Service Orientation3.0/5
- Systems Evaluation2.9/5
Knowledge
- Education and Training4.5/5
- English Language4.5/5
- Law and Government4.5/5
- Public Safety and Security4.4/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.9/5
- Computers and Electronics3.8/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Doctoral or professional degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Master's degree39%
- Doctoral degree26%
- Post-secondary certificate11%
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.