Annual Salary
£23,500 to £36,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Swap to Government or Politics or go back to all job sectors
Criminologists look at the reasons why people commit crimes and find ways to reduce re-offending.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: 9am to 5pm;
There will be
2.4% more Criminologist jobs in 2027.
In this role you could:
You could work in an office, in a prison or visit sites.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through:
You can do a degree in:
You can also do a postgraduate qualification in criminology. Most degree subjects are accepted as entry but relevant work experience can also be taken into account.
It is useful to get experience through internships, volunteering and work placements during your studies. For example, you could work with adults or young people affected by the criminal justice system, or people who are the victims of crime. This can help you explore the options for future research or criminology specialisms.
Your university careers service can help you find opportunities.
You'll usually need:
You could apply for a place on the Government Social Research Fast Stream programme to work in the Civil Service.
You'll need an upper second class degree or better, in criminology or social sciences, to apply.
You'll need to:
You could join the British Society of Criminology for professional development and networking opportunities.
You can find out more about working in crime and justice from GOV.UK.
You could become a senior policy adviser on crime and crime reduction with local or national government, the police or the probation service.
You could also work as a specialist researcher in particular offences, for example online abuse, organised crime or youth offending.
You could have an academic career in a university and become a professor of criminology.
With further training, you might move into social or probation work, a career in law or join the security services.
You could join the British Society of Criminology for professional development and networking opportunities.
You can find out more about working in crime and justice from GOV.UK.
You'll need: