Law Enforcement & Investigation
Correctional Officer
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
Guard inmates in penal or rehabilitative institutions in accordance with established regulations and procedures. May guard prisoners in transit between jail, courtroom, prison, or other point. Includes deputy sheriffs and police who spend the majority of their time guarding prisoners in correctional institutions.
Also called: Booking Officer · Community Services Officer (CSO) · Correctional Officer · Corrections Officer (CO) · Deputy Jailer · Detention Deputy · Detention Officer · Jail Officer
O*NET-SOC 33-3012.00 (Correctional Officers and Jailers)
Correctional Officer salary
Wages for correctional officers and jailers across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $28.34.
Correctional Officer pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $63,380 | $96,370 | $114,730 |
| Texas | $44,870 | $52,670 | $60,550 |
| Florida | $45,760 | $49,710 | $80,500 |
| New York | $58,940 | $76,820 | $93,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,840 | $63,460 | $85,630 |
| Illinois | $50,520 | $79,190 | $102,770 |
| Ohio | $46,930 | $59,370 | $68,060 |
| Georgia | $36,820 | $47,520 | $58,430 |
| North Carolina | $38,850 | $50,550 | $63,150 |
| Michigan | $47,360 | $64,020 | $77,990 |
Correctional Officer job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 397,800 jobs in 2025 to 368,200 in 2035 (-7% change).
- About 28,400 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Below Average.
How to become a correctional officer
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- No work experience
- On-the-job training
- 1 to 12 months on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma1.8%
- High school diploma or equivalent31.7%
- Some college, no degree32.5%
- Associate's degree14.7%
- Bachelor's degree15.7%
- Master's degree3.3%
- Doctoral or professional degree.3%
Related training programs
- Corrections
- Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other
- Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
- Juvenile Corrections
What does a correctional officer do?
Common tasks
- Conduct head counts to ensure that each prisoner is present.
- Inspect conditions of locks, window bars, grills, doors, and gates at correctional facilities to ensure security and help prevent escapes.
- Monitor conduct of prisoners in housing unit, or during work or recreational activities, according to established policies, regulations, and procedures, to prevent escape or violence.
- Search prisoners and vehicles and conduct shakedowns of cells for valuables and contraband, such as weapons or drugs.
- Guard facility entrances to screen visitors.
- Record information, such as prisoner identification, charges, and incidents of inmate disturbance, keeping daily logs of prisoner activities.
- Inspect mail for the presence of contraband.
- Search for and recapture escapees.
- Maintain records of prisoners' identification and charges.
- Use weapons, handcuffs, and physical force to maintain discipline and order among prisoners.
Most important skills
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
- Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
- Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Correctional Officer certifications
8 of 13 certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- American Correctional Association · Core
- American Jail Association · Advanced
- American Correctional Association · Specialty
- American Correctional Association · Advanced
- American Correctional Association · Specialty
- National Sheriffs' Association · Core
- National Sheriffs' Association · Advanced
- National Sheriffs' Association · Advanced
See all 13certifications in CareerOneStop's Certification Finder
Correctional Officer jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more law enforcement & investigation jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Law Enforcement & Investigation jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
Related careers
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
- Police Officer
- Bailiffs
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
- Criminal Investigator
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
- Transit and Railroad Police
- Security Guards
- Residential Advisors
More law enforcement & investigation careers
This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Correctional Officers and Jailers. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.