Careers / Correctional Officers and Jailers
Correctional Officers and Jailers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$58,940
United States, 2025
Employment
380,500
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 33-3012.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical 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.
- Maintain records of prisoners' identification and charges.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$42,760
25th percentile
$48,640
75th percentile
$75,850
90th percentile
$93,220
Most important skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Coordination3.5
- Persuasion3.4
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Active Learning3.3
- Negotiation3.3
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 17 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
17
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Speaking | 3.9 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Coordination | 3.5 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Persuasion | 3.4 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Writing | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Correctional Officers and JailersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $132,670 | 1,050 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $109,620 | 1,510 | 2025 |
| Stockton, CA | $107,220 | 1,220 | 2025 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $107,220 | 3,280 | 2025 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $107,220 | 710 | 2025 |
| Vineland, NJ | $106,570 | 1,090 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $99,880 | 1,500 | 2025 |
| CA | $96,370 | 37,860 | 2025 |
| NJ | $94,770 | 7,570 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $94,740 | 470 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $94,730 | 4,800 | 2025 |
| Fresno, CA | $94,010 | 2,660 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $93,220 | 14,730 | 2025 |
| Worcester, MA | $91,980 | 640 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $89,730 | 1,920 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $89,060 | 4,510 | 2025 |
| MA | $86,310 | 6,360 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $84,640 | 1,350 | 2025 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $84,610 | 180 | 2025 |
| Chicago, IL | $84,550 | 4,940 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Correctional Officers and Jailers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.