Salary

Criminologist in Quebec: pay of $31.06 to $55.04 an hour

Pay, Order licence, training and workplaces of the public-network criminologist, according to the September 15, 2026 nomenclature.

November 2, 2026 · By the Agent Intervenant editorial team · Lire en français

Salary

The criminologist in Quebec's health and social services network earns $31.06 to $55.04 an hour as of April 1, 2026, depending on step. This text applies to women and men. To find your own step, use the salary calculator, which covers every job title in the network.

What a criminologist does

The network's job title nomenclature (title 1544) describes a person who assesses criminogenic factors and offending behaviour as well as the effects of a crime on the victim. The person sets an intervention plan and carries it out. The person supports and restores the social capacities of the offender and of the victim. The person also designs research, intervention or consultation activities of a criminological nature.

The work week is 35 hours or 37.5 hours depending on the position.

Criminologist pay in the public network

Title 1544 follows the same scale as the social worker: 18 steps. Here are four steps of the scale, taken from the September 15, 2026 nomenclature.

Step	Rate on April 1, 2026	Rate on April 1, 2027
1	$31.06	$32.15
5	$35.80	$37.05
10	$42.39	$43.87
18	$55.04	$56.97

The rate in force today is the one of April 1, 2026. The April 1, 2027 rate is already written into the nomenclature. The nomenclature applies only to the public network. Community organizations and private employers set their own rates.

Training and licence

The nomenclature requires a bachelor's degree in criminology. It also requires membership in the Ordre professionnel des criminologues du Québec (OPCQ). The title of criminologist is reserved for people who hold an Order licence.

According to the Order, three Quebec degrees lead to the licence: the Université de Montréal bachelor's in criminology (B.Sc.) in the intervention or clinical orientation, its master's in criminology (M.Sc.) with the intervention option, and the Université Laval bachelor's in criminology (B.A.). A degree in another orientation, from elsewhere or in a related field goes through the Order's equivalency standards. The admission application is made online through the Espace Crimino portal.

Order fees

The Order lists a file-opening fee of $205 plus taxes for an officially recognized degree. The fee rises to $307 for a Quebec degree reviewed through equivalency and to $614 for a degree earned outside Canada. Its 2026-2027 annual fee (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027) is $800.23 for a regular member and $400.11 for a new graduate, taxes included. The $37.60 Office des professions contribution and liability insurance are added.

Where a criminologist works

Québec.ca names detention and rehabilitation centres, health and social services centres, youth centres, halfway houses, community organizations, the federal and provincial governments and crime victims assistance centres (CAVAC).

The Order adds correctional services in Quebec and Canada, police services, courts, mental health institutes and forensic psychiatry settings. It also mentions the Commission québécoise des libérations conditionnelles, schools and private practice.

In the network, the employers are the CISSS and the CIUSSS. Positions are posted on their career pages.

Reserved activities

The Order's letters patent reserve activities for the criminologist, which the criminologist shares with other professionals, including social workers and psychoeducators. They include assessing a person as part of a decision by the Director of Youth Protection (see the page on the DPJ) or by the court. They also include deciding on the use of restraint or isolation. This text is not legal advice.

Criminologist or human relations officer

The human relations officer title (1553) accepts a bachelor's degree in criminology, social work or psychology depending on the field of activity. It follows the same pay scale. The difference is the licence: the criminologist title requires membership in the Order. The social worker falls instead under the social workers' professional order, and the job is described on the social worker page.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a criminologist's salary in Quebec?

In the public network, the hourly rate runs from $31.06 at step 1 to $55.04 at step 18, as of April 1, 2026. On April 1, 2027, it will run from $32.15 to $56.97. Outside the network, employers set their own rates.

What training do you need to become a criminologist?

The network nomenclature requires a bachelor's degree in criminology. The Order recognizes programs at the Université de Montréal and the Université Laval. Other degrees go through the equivalency standards.

Do you have to be a member of the Order to work as a criminologist?

Yes for network title 1544, which requires membership in the Ordre professionnel des criminologues du Québec. The title of criminologist is reserved for licence holders.

How much is the fee for the Order of criminologists?

The 2026-2027 fee is $800.23 for a regular member. A new graduate pays $400.11. A file-opening fee is added at admission.

Where does a criminologist work?

In the health and social services network, correctional services, youth centres, community organizations, CAVACs and government departments. Some work in private practice.

What is the difference between a criminologist and a human relations officer?

The first holds a licence from the Order of criminologists. The second holds a broader network title that accepts several bachelor's degrees. Both follow the same pay scale.

How many hours a week does a network criminologist work?

The nomenclature provides for 35 hours or 37.5 hours a week depending on the position.