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Career Cluster

Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security

Image of careers in Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
  1. Do you want to be a firefighter or police officer?
  2. Do you respect the law and the rule of law?
  3. Do you like to help people?
  4. Are you good at debating and winning arguments?
  5. Are you detail-oriented and driven?
  6. Would you enjoy being responsible for other people’s safety?

If you answered yes to some of these questions, you might want to consider a career in law, public safety, corrections, and security. This career cluster includes a number of professions that are vital to the success of our society, including:

  • firefighter
  • police officer
  • corrections officer
  • attorney
  • sheriff’s deputy
  • paralegal
  • bailiff
  • security guard

Cluster Definition

Jobs in the law, public safety, corrections, and security career cluster involve planning, managing, and providing judicial, legal, protective, correction, and emergency services.

Career Pathways in Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security

A career pathway is an area of concentration within a career cluster. Each pathway contains a group of careers requiring similar academic and technical skills as well as similar industry certifications or postsecondary education. The law, public safety, corrections, and security career cluster has five pathways:

Correction Services

This pathway includes jobs that oversee individuals who have been arrested or who have been convicted and sentenced to serve time in jail, a penitentiary, or a reformatory. Jobs include:

  • guard
  • correctional trainer
  • reintegration counselor
  • corrections officer
  • parole officer
  • prison warden


Emergency and Fire Management Services

All occupations in this pathway involve working in potentially risky situations, protecting the public against fires and other dangers. Jobs include:

  • dispatcher
  • firefighter
  • rescue worker
  • emergency medical technician
  • emergency response coordinator
  • fire inspector


Law Enforcement Services

This pathway includes a variety of occupations involved in protecting the public, maintaining order, and enforcing laws. Jobs include:

  • evidence technician
  • police chief
  • police officer
  • private investigator
  • detective
  • sheriff
  • sheriff’s deputy
  • special agent
  • customs inspector
  • park ranger
  • bailiff
  • forensic evidence technician
  • forensic photographer
  • fingerprint analyst
  • criminalist


Legal Services

Occupations in this pathway involve ensuring the proper function of our nation's legal system. Jobs include:

  • investigator
  • court reporter
  • attorney
  • law clerk
  • judge
  • mediator
  • legal assistant
  • compliance officer


Security and Protective Services

Security jobs include the protection of property, people, and information. Jobs in this pathway include:

  • corporate investigator
  • security guard
  • computer forensics specialist
  • loss prevention specialist
  • armored car guard
  • security systems designer



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