Correctional Officer Job & Salary Information

The field of Corrections offers many career paths, and employs individuals with a broad set of educational backgrounds, including those in criminal justice, education, mental health, law enforcement, administration, healthcare, maintenance, operations, and food service. In spite of downward trends in crime, and budget constraints that typically limit employment growth in this sector, job opportunities are abundant. The rising number of adults under parole or probation and the increase in the number of private companies who are contracted to offer prison services are just a few of the factors that keep job demand high. Listed below are several of the most common professions within the field of Corrections:

Career Options in the Field of Corrections

Correctional Officer Jobs & Job Description

Corrections Officers work in a variety of environments throughout the nation’s prisons, jails, and detention centers.  Working within the proscriptions of routine duties in accordance with carefully planned policies, regulations and procedures, correctional officers maintain order throughout a facility.  While jobs do vary, corrections officers have similar sets of tasks that include:

  • Provide security, care and direct supervision of inmates or residents
  • Ensure that housing units, meals, recreation, work assignments and additional activities are secure environments for residents and staff
  • Use weapons as required to maintain order
  • Use force as required to maintain order
  • Receive incoming inmates, prisoners or residents
  • Searches, books, fingerprints and photographs incoming inmates, prisoners, or residents
  • Searches, records and stores offenders’ personal property
  • Classifies and provides accommodation for prisoners and residents
  • Provides monitoring of offenders within residential areas
  • Provides direct supervision of offenders during meals, health and medication check ins, and work periods
  • Distributes food and goods to prisoners
  • Enforces general behavior standards of prisoners
  • Secure and escorts offenders within and without the facility
  • Conduct random cell searches as a method of control and discipline for security purposes
  • Maintain and update jail records
  • Use computer systems and proprietary computer programs to check and record prison and offender data
  • Escort prisoners for court
  • Monitor offenders while in court
  • Draft reports documenting incidents, collect items for evidence
  • Liaise in a positive and professional manner with internal and external stakeholders, including supervisors; co-workers; outside law enforcement agencies; lawyers, transport personnel, county, state and federal personnel and agencies, community members
  • Follow direction to respond appropriately and professionally to emergencies using appropriate force
  • Operate a variety of equipment, including computers, printers, FAX and fingerprint machines, digital imaging computers, physical restraint devices, firearms, radios, fire extinguishers, intercom systems, telephones, and equipment found in the central control booth.

Senior corrections officer jobs often have a broader scope of practice which includes additional confidential information, advance protocols, and decision-making roles involving facilities, operations and personnel. Such responsibilities may include:

  • Tactical response and team deployment to control offender assaults, fires, riots, offender disturbances, explosions, natural disasters, and hostage conditions
  • Complete corrections paperwork including booking, medication, release records, reports; logs, requests, memos and rosters
  • Facilitate clerical and reception work to best support the prison and offenders
  • Release prisoners through approved procedures including bail, court order, or as otherwise ordered by appropriate authorities.
  • Operate, audit, repair, requisition a variety of equipment, including computers, printers, fax and fingerprinting machines, digital imaging software, physical restraint devices, firearms, radios, fire extinguishers, intercom systems, telephones, and equipment found in the central control booth.
  • Manage team morale in an appropriate, ethical and positive manner
  • Manage, monitor and engage in interactions with offenders in an appropriate, ethical and positive manner
  • Consider the health and safety of self, team, offenders, and community at large before engaging in any action within the prison
  • Liaise with senior management officials, warden, trustees, and government officials

Correctional Officer Salary Information

Area Name
Annual 10th percentile wage
Annual median wage
National (U.S.)
31140
44330
Alabama
24880
36330
Alaska
47580
62330
Arizona
33380
43110
Arkansas
25870
33390
California
52620
77520
Colorado
41180
46060
Connecticut
47900
54300
Florida
31530
37920
Georgia
26320
34170
Hawaii
51040
58650
Idaho
30760
36450
Illinois
43890
63330
Indiana
31000
33890
Iowa
35780
51410
Kansas
28540
34440
Kentucky
22070
33830
Louisiana
23780
30760
Maine
32350
39580
Maryland
43060
47150
Massachusetts
53900
69560
Michigan
37890
56330
Minnesota
39040
50580
Mississippi
21290
28190
Missouri
25490
30050
Montana
32170
40550
Nebraska
31810
38040
Nevada
42870
57450
New Hampshire
35050
47300
New Jersey
40850
71700
New Mexico
29380
35860
New York
43660
63600
North Carolina
31510
36770
North Dakota
37560
43380
Ohio
35630
46770
Oklahoma
25080
31910
Oregon
43220
61090
Pennsylvania
38480
51010
Rhode Island
60160
69710
South Carolina
28740
36200
South Dakota
29020
38580
Tennessee
26470
34890
Texas
34950
42620
Utah
35830
44470
Vermont
36060
44470
Virginia
32620
37990
Washington
43130
55290
West Virginia
25680
30520
Wisconsin
35650
42680
Wyoming
33510
39160

2018 salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes333012.htm)