What You Should Expect after Legal or Court Program Graduation

The legal system offers many chances at exciting careers. Whether you deal in actual legal practice, in law enforcement, or in court procedure, you can find a way to build on your skills and invigorate your mind. Regardless your ambition or your education, though, you need to know how best to market yourself. Are you entering a viable career field? What can you expect for salaries and benefits? How do you know that you are getting the most out of your career? We will look at the various levels of education and training in each career program that we have identified and explain what jobs, earnings, and prospects you can expect.

With a high school diploma, there are several career options available. Most security officer positions only require high school education, for example. Work in unarmed security usually pays less, from about $15,000 to $35,000, whereas armed security guards might make a little bit more (casino guards and surveillance officers make more as well, often up to $45,000). Most people view these jobs as fairly transient; if you make a career out of security, then, especially armed security, your opportunities for promotion will be higher than in many other industries. Furthermore, security as a job field is expected to grow faster than the national average over the next several years.

If security really isn't your style, high school diplomas can facilitate work as a legal secretary as well. Such secretaries average about $38,000 in earnings, though it ranges from about $23,000 to $58,000. Work as a legal secretary can be a lifelong pursuit or the stepping-stone into a professional career; many highly skilled executive secretaries or administrative assistants may go on to pursue their own professions.

Often, pursuing any higher profession-regardless of background-requires vocational training. Both security and legal secretary positions will usually encourage such training either as part of their hiring process or as a way to advance in the career. Most vocational certificates or diplomas will suffice for court reporting and for some criminal justice or homeland security positions. At this level, court reporters can expect that their ongoing training will allow them to slowly work through different skill levels and reporting techniques to the point that they could shift much of their work to their home, instead of the office. Generally, their salaries will range from $23,000 to $77,000; to obtain that higher pay scale, you likely would need an associate's degree.

Positions in criminal justice or homeland security, whether as an administrative, police, correctional treatment-related, or customs officer, or detective, usually pay from $25,000 to $70,000. Obviously, higher education is needed for the higher end, but an associate's or bachelor's degree may yield even higher wages. Also, the base salary for those working in these fields is always augmented by significant benefits and overtime pay. Job prospects will always be good in these fields; returning to court reporters, job openings are expected to grow twice as fast as those in criminal justice or homeland security. In both cases, superior qualifications will open you a more significant portion of the job market.

Associate's and bachelor's degrees often dovetail into each other with these vocationally-trained fields. Additionally, willingness to get at least an associate's degree opens the way for a career as a paralegal or legal assistant. Beyond a bachelor's degree, your goals should be job-oriented, instead of education-oriented. By having a superior employment situation, you will be able to grow through the organization and receive further education and training as you need it.

Working in criminal justice after obtaining an associate's or bachelor's degree permits more positions than just security or patrol officers; in fact, you are able to obtain work as a supervisor, specialized detective, probation officer, or correctional treatment officer. Police and detective supervisors can expect earnings on the level of $41,000 to $104,000, depending on educational and skill background and current assignment. Probation or correctional treatment officers can expect from about $28,000 to $71,000, and private detectives usually earn from $19,000 to $68,000. Obtaining at least a bachelor's degree can secure a salary closer to the higher end.

Whatever your chosen field upon graduation, you can expect at least average growth in all legal and court sectors of the job market. Court reporters and private detectives will likely experience much higher growth, and police work will always have excellent prospects, since many officers retire early. Success in any legal or court career depends primarily on experience. Even if you cannot expect promotion in your particular situation, be aware of opportunities to branch out.