Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondaries in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC make a median of $63,860 a year. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.49), which stretches that salary to about $72,166 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,095/month, or 25.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $64K get you in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton’s Regional Price Parity (88.49). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton
Pay for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $77K. Rent runs $1,095/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $73K | $75K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $76K | $81K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $60K | $61K |
| Rocky Mount | $59K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Entry-level criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140K | +82% | 1,460 |
| Colorado | $122K | +59% | 370 |
| Maryland | $100K | +30% | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | $95K | +24% | 790 |
| Oregon | $94K | +23% | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $84K | +10% | 70 |
| Minnesota | $83K | +8% | 100 |
| New York | $83K | +8% | 880 |
| Louisiana | $82K | +7% | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $82K | +7% | 300 |
| Delaware | $81K | +5% | 40 |
| Iowa | $80K | +4% | 80 |
| Massachusetts | $80K | +4% | 380 |
| New Hampshire | $79K | +3% | 40 |
| Mississippi | $79K | +3% | 110 |
| Texas | $77K | +1% | 1,150 |
| South Carolina | $77K | +0% | 150 |
| Michigan | $77K | +0% | 360 |
| West Virginia | $77K | +0% | 90 |
| Utah | $77K | +0% | 80 |
| Ohio | $77K | +0% | 420 |
| Connecticut | $73K | -5% | 200 |
| Washington | $73K | -5% | 120 |
| New Jersey | $72K | -7% | 530 |
| Georgia | $72K | -7% | 320 |
| Arizona | $71K | -7% | 310 |
| Missouri | $71K | -8% | 360 |
| Wyoming | $70K | -9% | 40 |
| Indiana | $68K | -11% | 170 |
| North Dakota | $68K | -12% | 40 |
| Nevada | $67K | -12% | 60 |
| Illinois | $66K | -14% | 480 |
| Alabama | $65K | -15% | 130 |
| North Carolina | $63K | -18% | 1,220 |
| Oklahoma | $63K | -18% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -19% | 60 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -19% | 190 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -20% | 70 |
| Florida | $62K | -20% | 840 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -21% | 100 |
| Kansas | $50K | -34% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Yes — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 26.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,095/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,198/month. At HUD’s $1,095/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $64K here vs. $77K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton compare to the national average for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $72K — below the national median.
How much do criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries make in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?
The median is $63,860 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,300, and experienced criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries can clear $74,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,203/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,095/month, which eats 26.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary salary go in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton has a Regional Price Parity of 88.49 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $72,166 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.