Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
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.
Also called: Adult Probation Officer · Correctional Counselor · Deputy Probation Officer (DPO) · Juvenile Probation Officer · Parole Agent · Parole Officer (PO)
Median pay (national)
$64,520
$45,390–$106,290 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
86,820
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+2.6%
~7,900 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $106,290 versus $45,390 at the bottom 10% — 2.3x. The median of $64,520 leaves roughly 65% 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 +2.6% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 7,900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 48 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $107,050, +66% vs the national median), while Mississippi sits lowest at $32,500 — a 229% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Office software as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
- 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.
- Develop liaisons and networks with other parole officers, community agencies, correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, and aftercare agencies to plan for helping offenders with life adjustments.
- Inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations.
- Write reports describing offenders' progress.
- Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
- Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
- 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.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Office software
- Appointment scheduling software
- Case management software
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Court records databases
- Electronic tracking device software
- Speech recognition software
- Tyler Technologies Odyssey Case Manager
- Web browser software
- Email software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
Knowledge areas
- Law and Government
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Administrative
- Customer and Personal Service