Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary: $57,970 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 365,380 correctional officers and jailers work nationally, and $57,970 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 12% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.2% annual growth.
Correctional Officers and Jailers: what the data shows
Common questions about correctional officers and jailers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a correctional officers and jailers?
Correctional Officers and Jailers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 33-3012.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 365,380 workers.
What does a correctional officers and jailers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Training and Teaching Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a correctional officers and jailers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $57,970 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $94,071 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,668 |
| 25th percentile | $80,567 |
| Median (50th) | $98,565 |
| 75th percentile | $109,404 |
| 90th percentile | $114,547 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, English Language, Law and Government, Customer and Personal Service. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is correctional officers and jailers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.2% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 6.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 12.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 365,380.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do correctional officers and jailerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 365,380 | 16.8% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 348,470 | 16.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 348,160 | 16.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 348,160 | 16.0% |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 183,960 | 8.5% |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 183,660 | 8.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Correctional Officers and Jailers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | — | — |
| Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | 86,820 | $64,520 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | — | — |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | 153,130 | $105,980 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Correctional Officers and Jailers workforce.
Employment Over Time
365,380 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Correctional Officers and Jailers grew from 108,200 in 2009 to 131,040 in 2025 (21.1%).
Historical employment for Correctional Officers and Jailers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$57,970 Median pay (BLS national)
Correctional Officers and Jailers earn $57,970 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 39,150 employees, $52,460 avg wage
- CA: 37,760 employees, $91,470 avg wage
- NY: 29,710 employees, $75,060 avg wage
- FL: 22,390 employees, $57,980 avg wage
- PA: 15,260 employees, $63,720 avg wage
- AZ: 13,840 employees, $55,160 avg wage
- OH: 12,350 employees, $57,050 avg wage
- IL: 12,210 employees, $79,360 avg wage
- NC: 11,780 employees, $50,450 avg wage
- VA: 11,720 employees, $54,030 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 15,680 employees, $83,800 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 8,090 employees, $56,300 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 8,060 employees, $53,050 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 5,920 employees, $84,870 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 5,410 employees, $67,660 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 5,030 employees, $57,410 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 4,920 employees, $89,040 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 4,810 employees, $82,140 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 4,450 employees, $79,310 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 3,660 employees, $78,830 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 U.S. workforce for Correctional Officers and Jailers is about 365,380 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Correctional Officers and Jailers earn $57,970 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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 365,380 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.