Criminal Justice in Idaho

idahoflagThe state of Idaho’s labor was more than 765,000 strong at the end of 2020, which is equivalent to more than 42% of the state’s population. In September 2021, the Idaho unemployment rate was 2.9%, which is significantly lower than the national 4.8% unemployment rate.

Idaho’s economy is a balanced mix of traditional industries and those industries emerging as new. While tourism is quite robust – with some of the greatest skiing in the continental US, but so are these Idaho industries that create a demand for criminal justice professionals-

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Criminal Justice Career Options

The common criminal justice career options available in Idaho will vary but likely fall within these primary criminal justice categories –

  • Law Enforcement & Criminology
  • Arbitrators & Mediators
  • Federal Military at the Mountain Home AFB, Gowen Field, and Edgemeade Mountain Home
  • Fish & Game Wardens
  • Paralegals or Legal Assistants
  • Police & Sheriff
  • Bailiffs
  • Transportation Security
  • Recreational Protection
  • Detectives & Criminal Investigators
  • Forensic Science Specialists
  • Court Reporters
  • Fire & Arson Investigations
  • Security Guards
  • Correctional Officers & Jailers

Do I Have to Pursue an Idaho Career in Law Enforcement If I am Interested in a Criminal Justice Career?

While most individuals who think of criminal justice professionals immediately think of law enforcement or police work, the truth is that the field of criminal justice is quite diverse.

The list that follows offers insight into the available criminal justice jobs available in Idaho not specifically explicitly involved with the field of law enforcement.

  • Correctional Officers & Bailiffs
  • Private investigators
  • Forensic Science Technicians
  • Probation Officers
  • Security Guards
  • Court Reporters
  • Paralegals or Legal Assistants
  • Fire Inspectors & Firefighters
  • Transportation Security

How is the Job Market in Idaho?

The job market for criminal justice jobs in Idaho is contingent upon the exact position of interest. The varying options are noted below.

The job market, as of May 2020, in Idaho, offers these criminal justice career options –

  • Nearly 1,900 correctional officers were working in Idaho, with a yearly median salary of $43,450.
  • More than 450 criminal investigators & detectives were working in Idaho, with a yearly median salary of $70,810.
  • There were nearly 2,700 police & sheriff’s patrol officers in Idaho, with a yearly median salary of $56,910.
  • More than 2,650 security guards were working in Idaho with a yearly median salary of $36,810.
  • More than 210 transportation security professionals were working in Idaho, with a yearly median wage of $41,170.
  • There were nearly 1,500 paralegals & legal professionals in Idaho, with a yearly median salary of $49,830, to name a few.

Which Cities Offer the Best Criminal Justice Jobs in Idaho?

The 2020 Census revealed that Idaho’s population was 1,839,106, which represents an increase of more than 17% from the population numbers shown in the 2010 Census of 1,567,582.

Idaho’s largest cities include the following –

  • Boise is the state capital with a 2021 population of 229,993.
  • Meridian is the 2nd largest city with a 2021 population of 129,555.
  • Nampa is the 3rd largest city with a 2021 population of 105,405.
  • Idaho Falls is the 4th largest city with a 2021 population of 64,618.

Boise City, Idaho

In 2020, there were nearly 5,600 criminal justice/protective service professionals working in Idaho’s state capital of Boise.  The aggregate median yearly income of these professionals is $46,040. More specifically, the Boise criminal justice marketplace offers these jobs –

  • Criminal Investigators – with a median salary of $82,290/year.
  • Police & Sheriff’s Patrol Officers – with a median salary of $62,690/year.
  • Transportation Security Professionals – with a median salary of $40,710/year.
  • Paralegals & Legal Professionals – with a median salary of $55,770/year.

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

More than 1,100 protective service professionals were working in Coeur d’Alene in 2020 with a yearly median wage of $53,950.

  • Police & Sheriff’s Patrol Officers – with a median salary of $62,780/year.
  • Detectives & Criminal Investigators – with a median salary of $53,110/year.
  • Paralegals & Legal Professionals – with a median salary of $39,640/year.
  • Security Guards – with a yearly median wage of $33,560/year.

Idaho Falls, Idaho

In May 2020, nearly 1,400 protective service/criminal justice professionals were working in the Idaho Falls area, with a median yearly income of $56,580.

  • Correctional Officers — with a median salary of $45,750/year.
  • Police & Sheriff’s Patrol Officers – with a median salary of $52,300/year.
  • Transportation Security Professionals – with a median salary of $41,040/year.
  • Paralegals & Legal Professionals – with a median salary of $49,140/year.

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