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Criminologist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a criminologist is $93,600 per annum, before tax, up $19,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay follows the sector you work in more than the job title.
- Government research and policy roles sit on a public service classification scale with defined annual increments, while university positions depend on academic levels and the length of grant funding behind them.
- Contract research can pay well per project but is rarely steady, and many early roles are fixed-term or part-time.
The median salary rose by $19,800 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than criminologist
The largest typical pay rise is $19,400 a year, moving into Policy Officer.
- Policy Officer+$19,400/yr
- Intelligence Analyst+$19,400/yr
- Data Analyst+$7,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher criminologist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time criminologist salary is $93,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Data analysis and Statistical modelling tend to command a premium over general criminologist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Policy Officer pays a typical $19,400 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Criminologist salary questions
How much do criminologists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a criminologist is $93,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is criminologist pay rising or falling?
The median criminologist salary is up $19,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than criminologist?
Policy Officer pays a typical $19,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to criminologist.
Related salaries
- Sociologist salary
- Policy Officer salary
- Intelligence Analyst salary
- GIS Analyst salary
- Data Analyst salary
- Demographer salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.