First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers Salary: $133,172 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 53,390 first-line supervisors of correctional officers nationally earn a mean of $133,172. Much hiring sits in federal, state, and local government, including state and local government schools and hospitals and the u.s. postal service (oews designation); about 62% of workers are women.
Key Statistics
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers: what the data shows
Common questions about first-line supervisors of correctional officers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a first-line supervisors of correctional officers?
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 33-1011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 53,390 workers.
What does a first-line supervisors of correctional officers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Documenting/Recording Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others, Getting Information, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a first-line supervisors of correctional officers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $76,310 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $133,172 — 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 | $113,354 |
| 25th percentile | $125,397 |
| Median (50th) | $131,002 |
| 75th percentile | $142,952 |
| 90th percentile | $154,666 |
What education do you need?
For First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Coordination, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, Law and Government, Administration and Management, Psychology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is first-line supervisors of correctional officers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.3% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -1.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -3.0%.
Current U.S. headcount: 53,390.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do first-line supervisors of correctional officerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 53,390 | 16.8% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 51,990 | 16.3% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 51,930 | 16.3% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 51,930 | 16.3% |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 33,940 | 10.7% |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 33,890 | 10.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers workforce.
Employment Over Time
53,390 Workforce in 2023
The First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$133,172 Average Wage
In 2023, First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers earned an average of $133,172.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Salary distribution for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
14,182 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -1.5%
13,967 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -3.0%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Wage Trends by Industry
52.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
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:
- FL: 6,250 employees, $65,920 avg wage
- CA: 4,520 employees, $129,490 avg wage
- TX: 4,460 employees, $65,990 avg wage
- NY: 3,490 employees, $101,940 avg wage
- IL: 3,070 employees, $112,270 avg wage
- VA: 2,320 employees, $72,450 avg wage
- GA: 2,280 employees, $58,350 avg wage
- MD: 1,660 employees, $83,860 avg wage
- AR: 1,620 employees, $51,120 avg wage
- PA: 1,510 employees, $92,480 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 2,020 employees, $121,720 avg wage
- Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR: 810 employees, $54,350 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 760 employees, $92,930 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 740 employees, $95,930 avg wage
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: 720 employees, $83,990 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 680 employees, $63,940 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 660 employees, $112,930 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 620 employees, $128,110 avg wage
- Baton Rouge, LA: 590 employees, $62,330 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: 580 employees, $134,310 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Diversity
Demographic information on First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers in 2023 was 53,390 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
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 First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers workers.
Education level distribution for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Skills
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers need many skills, but most especially Coordination, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Monitoring.
Required skills for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers include Public Safety and Security, Law and Government, Administration and Management, Psychology, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers include Problem Sensitivity, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
Daily Activities
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers spend their time on activities such as Documenting/Recording Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others, Getting Information, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards.
Most important work activities for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
About
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
The average yearly wage for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers was $133,172 in 2023.
SOC Code
33-1011 - First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers reports an average salary of $133,172, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 53,390 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.3%, 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.