Criminologist vs. Criminalist: Understanding the Difference

According to the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ), final 2025 data are expected to show a homicide rate of about 4 per 100,000 U.S. residents — the lowest recorded since 1900.

No single answer accounts for this decline. Research points to a combination of shifting public behavior and criminal justice strategies, factors that professionals continue to study to better understand what drives crime.

In this work, criminologists and criminalists play distinct roles. While both help reduce and prevent crime, they focus on different aspects of the problem. For students considering App State Online’s Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (BSCJ), understanding the criminologist vs. criminalist difference can help clarify which path best aligns with their interests and goals.

What Is a Criminologist?

A criminologist studies crime to understand why it happens and how it can be reduced over time. Rather than focusing on individual cases, criminologists identify trends and patterns in criminal behavior, working with forensic science technicians, criminal investigators and other professionals to compile that data.

They’re expected to have a deep understanding of criminal justice, as well as psychology and sociology, to understand how people think and act and make appropriate policy recommendations.

Key responsibilities of a criminologist include:

Studying criminal behavior and the environmental factors of crime, such as economic stress or lack of education
Uncovering patterns in crime data, such as how a certain type of crime, like retail theft, is increasing or decreasing over time
Collecting and compiling data on crime across specific populations or regions
Making policy recommendations to stakeholders that address environmental factors of crime, such as creating a public safety information campaign
Evaluating and improving criminal rehabilitation strategies

What Is a Criminalist?

Criminalists are forensic professionals, such as forensic science technicians or crime scene specialists. They work with local, state or federal law enforcement agencies to help determine who committed a crime, how and when it occurred, who the victims were, and other key details that help them solve an individual case.

Criminalists may use many different tools and techniques to uncover evidence, like fingerprint or ammunition casing analysis, or they may specialize in a particular field of evidence gathering, such as toxicology.

Key responsibilities of a criminalist include:

Working with criminal investigators to collect information and evidence about a crime
Performing evidence-gathering techniques such as bloodstain pattern analysis
Searching databases to match evidence to existing records
Collecting and preserving evidence from crime scenes
Providing testimony related to the evidence uncovered during investigations and presented in court

Criminologist vs. Criminalist: Similarities

Both criminologists and criminalists play an important role in reducing crime. They’re also detail-oriented criminal justice professionals, with each position requiring a strong understanding of evidence analysis and the identification of criminal behavior patterns.

Both roles can also start with an undergraduate criminal justice degree program.

Criminologist vs. Criminalist: Differences

Criminologists and criminalists work to reduce and prevent crime in different ways. Whereas a criminologist focuses on studying criminal behavior to reduce it at the community level, a criminalist typically works on a case-by-case basis. These distinct approaches often lead to different areas of specialization and skill sets and, in some cases, additional education.

Education and Experience

Both aspiring criminologists and criminalists can start their careers by earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related field, but they may want to focus their studies in different directions.

Criminologists need a deep understanding of how people think and act. In addition to having a thorough knowledge of criminal justice topics, such as how the legal system operates, they may also want to consider taking classes in psychology or sociology. Criminologists may also benefit from earning a master’s degree in criminology or sociology, as this is often required for high-level positions in the federal government.

Criminalists, on the other hand, typically work more with data related to one specific crime or case, instead of looking at the overarching effects and instigators of crime. They also tend to focus more on the gathering, preservation, and analysis of forensic evidence. As such, criminalists benefit more from classes that assist with evidence analysis, such as statistics.

Required Skills

Both criminologists and criminalists should have a thorough understanding of the criminal justice system, but they often use this knowledge in different ways that require different skill sets.

Key skills for criminologists include:

Research: Criminologists study evidence from crime scenes and analyze data from various sources to uncover trends in criminal behavior over time.
Pattern recognition: Criminologists should be able to spot overlooked details, like a crucial piece of evidence that others may not see, to identify patterns in criminal behavior.
Understanding human behavior: Criminologists need a deep understanding of diverse communities and cultures, as well as how people think and act, to predict potential criminal behavior.
Communication: Criminologists must clearly convey their findings and policy recommendations to key stakeholders.

Key skills for criminalists include:

Evidence preservation: After collecting evidence, criminalists must ensure that it’s carefully preserved before, during, and after testing.
Evidence testing: Criminalists must have a thorough understanding of the techniques used to test evidence, including immunological, chemical, and microscopic tests.
Analysis and problem-solving: Criminalists must carefully document their findings, study data, and help fill gaps in law enforcement officials’ knowledge about a crime through careful problem-solving.
Public speaking: Many criminalists need to testify in court about their findings, making strong public speaking skills essential.

Salary and Career Outlook

According to Payscale, criminologists earn a median annual salary of about $58,200 in 2026. In comparison, criminalists earn a higher median annual salary of about $76,900.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) considers criminologists a type of sociologist, with employment projected to grow by 4% between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as the national average for all occupations.

The BLS tracks criminalists as forensic science technicians, with employment projected to grow 13% between 2024 and 2034, much faster than the national average.

Prepare for a Career in Criminal Justice

There are key differences between criminologists and criminalists, but both work toward the same goal: reducing crime. The work of a criminalist — namely, evidence testing and analysis — informs the work of criminologists who use these findings to shape the criminal justice system.

App State Online’s BSCJ program gives students the opportunity to train for a career as either a criminologist or a criminalist, among many other criminal justice professions. Aspiring criminologists can hone their skills in research, psychology and sociology, while criminalists can take classes that build on their mathematical and analytical skills.

With a fully online program and multiple eight-week term starts, students can prepare for the next step in their career at their own pace.

Discover how App State Online can help you start your new criminal justice career.

Recommended Readings

Basics of Criminal Justice Policy

Careers With a Criminal Justice Degree: Paths for Graduates

Juvenile Court vs. Adult Court: Understanding the Processes

Sources:

Council on Criminal Justice, Why Is Crime Going Down?

Indeed, What Is a Criminalist? (With Duties and Skills to Develop)

Indeed, What Is a Criminologist? (With Sample Job Description)

Payscale, Average Criminalist Salary

Payscale, Average Criminologist Salary