Correctional Officers and Jailers
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
Median pay (national)
$57,970
$41,750–$93,000 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
365,380
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-7.8%
~30,100 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for correctional officers and jailers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $93,000 versus $41,750 at the bottom 10% — 2.2x. The median of $57,970 leaves roughly 60% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -7.8% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 30,100 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 50 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $95,840, +65% vs the national median), while Mississippi sits lowest at $36,710 — a 161% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Maintain records of prisoners' identification and charges.
- Use weapons, handcuffs, and physical force to maintain discipline and order among prisoners.
- Use nondisciplinary tools and equipment, such as a computer.
- Conduct fire, safety, and sanitation inspections.
Tools & technology
- 3M Electronic Monitoring
- Corrections housing software
- Guardian RFID
- Jail management software
- Web browser software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
- Psychology
- Administrative