Career as a Criminal Psychologist Essay Example

According to Webster’s Dictionary, a Psychologist is defined as “a person who specializes in the study of mind and behavior or in the treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.” A Criminal Psychologist applies these ideas to the field of forensics by interviewing criminals to find the status of their mental health and the motives of their crimes. Criminal Psychology is a very fascinating profession because one gets the opportunity to work directly with arrested criminals, works with law enforcement, and works as a profiler. Most of the time, people working in the field of Criminal Psychology do many things involving crime and the criminals who commit said crimes. Additionally, Criminal Psychologists can also work to educate future Criminal Psychologists as well.

To become a licensed Criminal Psychologist, one does not need to complete any junior high requirements, but a high school diploma is needed. Then, a bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology is required before going on to earn a Psy.D. or a Ph.D. This will take five years to earn after the bachelor’s and master’s degree is obtained. The Psy.D. or Ph.D. will need to be focused on forensic psychology since a doctorate degree in Criminal Psychology does not necessarily exist. Online Psychology Degrees states, “Please note that criminal psychology is not recognized as an area of specialization by the American Psychological Association (APA). That means you are not going to be able to receive an APA approved graduate degree in criminal psychology. However, you can receive an APA approved degree in forensic psychology” (“What is Criminal Psychology?”). After that, Careers in Psychology states, “To begin practice, you must take the licensing examination in your state or jurisdiction, then keep it current. Certifications are not required, but you may opt for additional certifications to increase your expertise and credibility” (“What is Criminal Psychology: How to Begin Your Career”).

Once one has all of the requirements to become a qualified Criminal Psychologist, a specific series of understandings and expertises is needed. According to Careers in Psychology, these skills and knowledges include the following, “Thorough understanding of psychological principles, understanding of the criminal justice system, ability to work with officers of the law, attorneys, and criminals, understanding of the legal process, as well as of what constitutes a sound, compelling legal argument, a strong constitution, since the psychologist will likely witness gruesome crime scenes, ability to assess empirical evidence and draw meaningful conclusions about a criminal’s mental and emotional state, ability to work with criminals in a calm, compassionate, and nonjudgmental manner, excellent written and verbal skills, and a strong sense of logic and ethics” (“What is Criminal Psychology: How to Begin Your Career”).  Being patient with criminals is a very important part of this occupation because one is required to get the motives of certain crimes. In addition, many understandings of the law is needed because Criminal Psychologists work around law enforcement such as local police and the FBI. It is safe to come to the conclusion that many expertises and understandings are needed to succeed in being a Criminal Psychologist.   

As a Criminal Psychologist, one has many options as to who to work for. For example, you can work for the FBI or for your town’s police station. To add, you can work in private practice. Online Psychology Degrees says “Criminal psychologists have a number of career opportunities. They usually split their time between an office and court but can also spend some time in the field, in settings like crime scenes and jails. Some work directly for government agencies, such as the police or FBI. Others have their own practice and work as consultants to lawyers and law-enforcement agencies. Many are affiliated with universities” (“What is Criminal Psychology?”). As said by Online Psychology Degrees, one could become a professor as a Criminal Psychologist or, as stated before, could work for the FBI or local police stations. Being a Criminal Psychologist involves being inside courtrooms or police stations most of the time unless one is called to an outdoor crime scene as well. 

The salaries of Criminal Psychologists depend on many factors, such as who you work for and what sorts of tasks you complete on the job. For example, Online Psychology Degrees states, “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, criminal psychologists on average earn $93,440, which is more than most other disciplines of psychology. Their salary will largely depend on where they work and their specific duties. If they work directly for a government agency, such as Homeland Security, then they are likely to earn less than as a private consultant. Additionally, someone providing assessment and court testimony is likely to earn more than someone who primarily performs research” (“What is Criminal Psychology?”). To add, Careers in Psychology says “Classified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as ‘psychologists, all other,’ criminal psychologists earned an average salary of $98,230 as of May 2019. Many of these highly specialized psychologists work for the federal and state governmental agencies, where they earn an average salary of $94,670 and $104,280, respectively” (“What is Criminal Psychology: How to Begin Your Career”). This shows that some Criminal Psychologists who work for government agencies may make more money than a Criminal Psychologist who works in private practice. There are several job benefits of Criminal Psychologists. State University states, “Benefits for salaried psychologists usually include paid holidays and vacations, health insurance, and retirement plans. Psychologists in private practice must provide their own benefits” (“Psychologist job description, Career as a Psychologist, Salary, Employment”). In addition, there is a fairly good outlook on employment rates for Criminal Psychologists. Maryville University says, “Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not keep specific data on criminal psychologists, it projects employment for psychologists of all kinds to grow 14% from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the national average for all occupations (7%)” (“Criminal Psychology vs. Forensic Psychology: Which Is Right For You”).

To conclude, a lot of training is needed to be able to practice Psychology. Despite the hard work, I am still interested in becoming a Criminal Psychologist because they help save people's lives in the long run. Partaking in being a Criminal Psychologist is very captivating because I would get the chance to understand why criminals committed the crimes that they did, work directly with the FBI and other forces, and potentially stop future crimes from occuring, which is very important and overall beneficial to the world. Even though a lot of hard work and dedication needs to be put into pursuing this career, it is still very interesting to me and worth pursuing. I can take so many different paths if I choose to go to school to be a Criminal Psychologist even if I decide not to work for the FBI or police. Criminal Psychology can take so many different forms and is still a very thrilling and intriguing job.  

Works Cited

Criminal Psychology vs. Forensic Psychology: Which Is Right for You?” Maryville University. Maryville University. 2022. 2 February 2022. Web.

“Psychologist Job Description, Career as a Psychologist, Salary, Employment.” State University. State University. 2 February 2022. Web.

“What is Criminal Psychology?” Online Psychology Degrees. Online Psychology Degrees. 2012-2018. 2 February 2022. Web.

“What is Criminal Psychology: How to Begin Your Career.” Careers In Psychology. Careers In Psychology. 2 February 2022. Web.