Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary
Protective Service Occupations · 381K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$58,940
Median hourly
$28
Average annual
$63,630
Typical range
$42,760–$93,220
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Correctional Officers and Jailers is $58,940 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $28 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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.
Most earn between $42,760 and $93,220 a year. There are roughly 381K people employed as correctional officers and jailers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Correctional Officers and Jailers.
- Hourly
- $28.34
- Daily
- $227
- Weekly
- $1,133
- Bi-weekly
- $2,267
- Monthly
- $4,912
- Annual
- $58,940
$58,940 a year is around the 50th percentile for Correctional Officers and Jailerss. The median is $58,940.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$96,370
- 2New Jersey$94,770
- 3Massachusetts$86,310
- 4Oregon$83,690
- 5Washington$79,460
- 6Illinois$79,190
- 7New York$76,820
- 8Nevada$76,490
- 9Wisconsin$73,470
- 10Alaska$71,360
- 11Hawaii$69,570
- 12Utah$67,290
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$132,670
- 2Salinas, CA$109,620
- 3Bakersfield-Delano, CA$107,220
- 4San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$107,220
- 5Stockton-Lodi, CA$107,220
- 6Vineland, NJ$106,570
- 7San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$99,880
- 8Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$94,740
- 9Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$94,730
- 10Fresno, CA$94,010
- 11New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$93,220
- 12Worcester, MA$91,980
Related job titles
Employers advertise Correctional Officers and Jailers roles under these titles.
- Booking Officer
- Certified Detention Deputy
- Civilian Jail Officer
- Community Corrections Officer (CCO)
- Community Services Officer (CSO)
- Confinement Officer
- Convict Guard
- Correction Officer
- Correctional Guard
- Correctional Monitor
- Correctional Officer
- Correctional Officer Specialist
- Corrections Corporal
- Corrections Officer (CO)
- Corrections Specialist
- Cottage Master
Related occupations
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers$77,970
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists$66,270
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210
- Bailiffs$56,600
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$106,040
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators$93,790
- Transit and Railroad Police$90,230
- Security Guards$38,020
What a Correctional Officers and Jailers does
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Correctional Officers and Jailers make?
- The median annual wage for Correctional Officers and Jailers is $58,940 ($28 per hour). Pay ranges from about $42,760 at the 10th percentile to $93,220 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Correctional Officers and Jailers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $63,630, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Correctional Officers and Jailerss the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $96,370.
- Is Correctional Officers and Jailers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 381K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Correctional Officers and Jailers do?
- 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..