Correctional Officers and Jailers Career, Salary and Skills
Correctional Officers and Jailers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $58,940 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 380,500. Wage data is published for 331 locations.
Occupation description
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
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$58,940
Hourly median
$28.34
Employment
380,500
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 3.50 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.00 | 3.75 |
| Monitoring | 4.00 | 3.75 |
| Speaking | 3.88 | 3.50 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Coordination | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Persuasion | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Active Learning | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Negotiation | 3.25 | 3.00 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Conduct head counts to ensure that each prisoner is present.
Technology
- 3M Electronic Monitoring
- Adobe Acrobat
- Corrections housing software
- Guardian RFID
- Jail management software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Web browser software
Correctional Officers and Jailers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in TXMedian $52,670 · Employment 44,700
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in CAMedian $96,370 · Employment 37,860
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in NYMedian $76,820 · Employment 27,770
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in FLMedian $49,710 · Employment 24,280
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in PAMedian $63,460 · Employment 15,560
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in New York, NYMedian $93,220 · Employment 14,730
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in AZMedian $54,970 · Employment 14,230
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in OHMedian $59,370 · Employment 12,610
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in ILMedian $79,190 · Employment 12,190
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in NCMedian $50,550 · Employment 11,900
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in VAMedian $50,140 · Employment 11,270
- Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in GAMedian $47,520 · Employment 10,640
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- Psychiatric AidesNational median $44,910
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.