Correctional Officers and Jailers
Correctional Officers and Jailers earn an average annual salary of $94,071, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 11.9% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Correctional Officers and Jailers workforce.
Employment Over Time
37,760 Workforce in 2023
The Correctional Officers and Jailers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$94,071 Average Wage
In 2023, Correctional Officers and Jailers earned an average of $94,071.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Salary distribution for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Employment Growth Projections
1.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
139,122 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 6.2%
147,702 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 12.7%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.2% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Correctional Officers and Jailers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Correctional Officers and Jailers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Wage Trends by Industry
9.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 24,680 employees, $93,842 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 5,120 employees, $87,686 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 4,920 employees, $91,571 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 3,290 employees, $97,578 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 2,640 employees, $92,250 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,970 employees, $84,434 avg wage
- Salinas MSA: 1,490 employees, $100,539 avg wage
- El Centro MSA: 1,320 employees, $101,115 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 1,050 employees, $127,268 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 810 employees, $84,701 avg wage
- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA: 700 employees, $104,663 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Correctional Officers and Jailers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Correctional Officers and Jailers in 2023 was 37,760 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Correctional Officers and Jailers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Correctional Officers and Jailers workers.
Education level distribution for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Skills
Correctional Officers and Jailers need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Correctional Officers and Jailers include Public Safety and Security, English Language, Law and Government, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Correctional Officers and Jailers include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Daily Activities
Correctional Officers and Jailers spend their time on activities such as Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
About
Correctional Officers and Jailers
The average yearly wage for Correctional Officers and Jailers was $94,071 in 2023.
SOC Code
33-3012 - Correctional Officers and Jailers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Correctional Officers and Jailers reports an average salary of $94,071.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 37,760 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.