Career comparison
Criminal Justice Professor vs. Law Professor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Law professors earn more at the median ($128,500 vs. $76,590), while criminal justice professors usually get to work faster (5–7 years after a bachelor’s of training). Criminal justice professors teach how the justice system works and research crime and policing. Law professors teach future lawyers and write about the law.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Criminal Justice Professor | Law Professor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $76,590 | $128,500 |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $45,000 – $140,240 | $64,250 – $287,900 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +1.5% (slower than average) | +2.6% (about as fast as average) |
| Openings per year | 1,100 | 1,800 |
| Typical entry education | Doctoral or professional degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Training time | 5–7 years after a bachelor’s | 7+ years after high school plus experience |
| Key credential | Ph.D. in criminology | J.D. |
| Work setting | Faculty work in classrooms, offices and with justice agencies.. | Faculty work in law schools, clinics and offices.. |
What each job does
Criminal Justice Professor
- Teach criminal justice courses
- Prepare students for justice careers
- Conduct research on crime and policy
- Partner with agencies
- Advise students
Law Professor
- Teach law courses
- Run legal clinics
- Teach legal writing
- Write legal scholarship
- Advise students
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with people, working independently, desk work, and high-pay. Both are part of the education & childcare field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose criminal justice professor if…
- I care about justice
- I like teaching
- I enjoy research
Choose law professor if…
- I love the law
- I enjoy debate
- I like writing
Still torn? Take the Criminal Justice Professor fit quiz and the Law Professor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, criminal justice professor or law professor?
Law Professors earn more at the median: $128,500 versus $76,590 for criminal justice professors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Criminal Justice Professors typically train faster (5–7 years after a bachelor’s) than law professors (7+ years after high school plus experience).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects law professors to grow +2.6% from 2025–35, compared with +1.5% for criminal justice professors.