Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Career, Salary and Skills
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $66,270 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 89,390. Wage data is published for 287 locations.
Occupation description
Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.
O*NET code
21-1092.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$66,270
Hourly median
$31.86
Employment
89,390
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Writing | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.75 | 3.38 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Active Learning | 3.38 | 3.25 |
Typical tasks
- Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
- Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
- Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
- Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.
- Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
- Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.
- Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.
- Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
Technology
- Appointment scheduling software
- Case management software
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Court records databases
- Electronic tracking device software
- Email software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in CAMedian $103,640 · Employment 13,900
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in TXMedian $52,880 · Employment 8,100
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $108,150 · Employment 4,700
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in FLMedian $50,960 · Employment 4,490
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in NYMedian $80,350 · Employment 4,360
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in PAMedian $67,370 · Employment 4,310
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in New York, NYMedian $79,370 · Employment 3,490
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in OHMedian $61,120 · Employment 3,310
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in NCMedian $62,220 · Employment 3,310
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in NJMedian $80,280 · Employment 2,890
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in VAMedian $58,820 · Employment 2,730
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Salary in GAMedian $60,270 · Employment 2,650
Related careers
- Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsNational median $100,580
- BailiffsNational median $56,600
- Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, PostsecondaryNational median $76,590
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing OfficersNational median $117,860
- Social and Community Service ManagersNational median $80,390
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and MagistratesNational median $153,990
- Marriage and Family TherapistsNational median $66,940
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and DetectivesNational median $106,040
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.