Correctional Officers and Jailers pay in the United States

Goes furthest in New Jersey
·Protective Service·
381k jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$28.34/hr median
380,500 employed
-7% to 2035
44% AI exposure
High school diploma or equivalent
50 states reported
and more...

What this work is

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. Includes deputy sheriffs and police who spend the majority of their time guarding prisoners in correctional institutions.

Where the money actually goes furthest

California pays the highest headline figure at $96,370. Adjusted for what things cost there it is worth $87,039 — less than New Jersey, where $94,770 is worth $87,096.

Pay by state

50 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Correctional Officers and Jailers by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
New Jersey$45.56/hr$94,770$87,096$90,8597,570
California$46.33/hr$96,370$87,039$91,38037,860
Massachusetts$41.49/hr$86,310$81,609$81,9946,360
Oregon$40.24/hr$83,690$80,969$76,9083,650
Illinois$38.07/hr$79,190$79,221$75,40712,190
Wisconsin$35.32/hr$73,470$78,076$70,6737,360
Nevada$36.77/hr$76,490$76,505$76,4903,240
Washington$38.20/hr$79,460$74,254$79,4606,800
New York$36.93/hr$76,820$71,182$73,19927,770
Nebraska$30.47/hr$63,380$70,344$60,9933,250
Alaska$34.31/hr$71,360$69,714$71,360850
Utah$32.35/hr$67,290$68,065$64,2282,050
Minnesota$31.75/hr$66,040$66,964$63,0125,350
Michigan$30.78/hr$64,020$66,535$61,5378,220
Delaware$31.67/hr$65,880$66,005$62,7621,730
Pennsylvania$30.51/hr$63,460$65,040$61,51115,560
Ohio$28.55/hr$59,370$63,996$58,45312,610
Hawaii$33.45/hr$69,570$63,274$65,7251,310
Connecticut$31.13/hr$64,750$62,493$61,9383,780
Kansas$26.98/hr$56,120$62,307$53,2773,380
Maryland$30.89/hr$64,250$61,213$61,3786,060
Iowa$25.50/hr$53,040$60,437$51,5793,440
Colorado$29.87/hr$62,140$60,300$60,1197,290
South Dakota$25.50/hr$53,040$59,871$53,0401,490
Wyoming$26.34/hr$54,780$59,100$54,780920
West Virginia$25.43/hr$52,890$59,094$51,1522,980
North Dakota$25.22/hr$52,460$58,970$52,4601,290
New Hampshire$29.50/hr$61,360$58,903$61,360680
Idaho$25.76/hr$53,580$56,110$51,5142,370
Tennessee$24.49/hr$50,940$55,447$50,9406,990
Vermont$25.87/hr$53,810$54,930$52,196450
Arizona$26.43/hr$54,970$54,598$53,96014,230
Maine$25.35/hr$52,730$54,332$50,4101,090
Texas$25.32/hr$52,670$54,265$52,67044,700
North Carolina$24.30/hr$50,550$53,588$48,94311,900
Alabama$22.43/hr$46,660$52,533$44,5174,970
Oklahoma$21.97/hr$45,690$52,015$44,0093,730
New Mexico$23.05/hr$47,940$51,990$46,7032,740
Montana$23.64/hr$49,180$51,959$47,3921,430
Indiana$23.24/hr$48,340$51,794$46,9198,060
South Carolina$23.02/hr$47,890$51,082$46,5034,870
Virginia$24.11/hr$50,140$49,594$48,00311,270
Georgia$22.84/hr$47,520$49,350$45,67610,640
Florida$23.90/hr$49,710$48,070$49,71024,280
Missouri$20.49/hr$42,620$46,927$41,4736,670
Kentucky$20.34/hr$42,310$46,927$40,7446,770
Arkansas$19.39/hr$40,330$46,388$38,9334,460
Louisiana$19.16/hr$39,850$45,176$39,0297,960
Mississippi$18.62/hr$38,720$44,531$37,1174,040
Puerto Rico$17.32/hr$36,030Not publishedNot published3,740

National median for comparison: $58,940. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$58,940/year

$28.34/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$30,080$109,580

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

44%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

Both methods agree closely.

Method 1 — ability mix43%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content44%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by -7% between 2025 and 2035, with about 28,400 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • 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.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where correctional officers and jailers move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by RDNE Stock project.