Correctional Officer Salary
Correctional officers oversee inmates in jails and prisons, maintaining security and enforcing facility rules.
Correctional Officer Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level correctional officers earn around $35,000 per year, while mid-career professionals earn $50,000. Senior-level correctional officers can earn $72,000 or more.
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Check Your Rate — No Credit Impact →Salary Percentile Breakdown
The salary range for correctional officers varies significantly. The bottom 10% earn $33,000, while the top 10% earn $78,000.
| Percentile | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $33,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $39,000 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $49,610 |
| 75th Percentile | $63,000 |
| 90th Percentile | $78,000 |
Correctional Officer Salary by State
Correctional Officer salaries vary significantly by state due to cost of living, demand, and industry concentration. The highest paying state is Hawaii at $84,337, while Mississippi offers the lowest at $41,176.
| State | Median | |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Hawaii | $84,337 | Details → |
| #2 California | $68,462 | Details → |
| #3 Massachusetts | $66,974 | Details → |
| #4 Alaska | $61,516 | Details → |
| #5 New York | $60,524 | Details → |
| #6 New Jersey | $57,051 | Details → |
| #7 Washington | $57,051 | Details → |
| #8 Connecticut | $55,563 | Details → |
| #9 Maryland | $54,571 | Details → |
| #10 Oregon | $54,571 | Details → |
| #11 Colorado | $52,091 | Details → |
| #12 New Hampshire | $52,091 | Details → |
| #13 Rhode Island | $52,091 | Details → |
| #14 Virginia | $51,594 | Details → |
| #15 Delaware | $50,106 | Details → |
| #16 Vermont | $50,106 | Details → |
| #17 Florida | $48,618 | Details → |
| #18 Maine | $48,618 | Details → |
| #19 Arizona | $48,122 | Details → |
| #20 Minnesota | $48,122 | Details → |
| #21 Nevada | $48,122 | Details → |
| #22 Utah | $48,122 | Details → |
| #23 Pennsylvania | $47,626 | Details → |
| #24 Illinois | $47,130 | Details → |
| #25 Montana | $47,130 | Details → |
| #26 Idaho | $46,633 | Details → |
| #27 Georgia | $46,137 | Details → |
| #28 New Mexico | $46,137 | Details → |
| #29 North Carolina | $45,641 | Details → |
| #30 Texas | $45,641 | Details → |
| #31 Wisconsin | $45,641 | Details → |
| #32 Wyoming | $45,641 | Details → |
| #33 Louisiana | $45,145 | Details → |
| #34 Indiana | $44,649 | Details → |
| #35 Michigan | $44,649 | Details → |
| #36 Nebraska | $44,649 | Details → |
| #37 North Dakota | $44,649 | Details → |
| #38 Ohio | $44,649 | Details → |
| #39 Iowa | $44,153 | Details → |
| #40 South Carolina | $44,153 | Details → |
| #41 Tennessee | $44,153 | Details → |
| #42 Missouri | $43,657 | Details → |
| #43 South Dakota | $43,657 | Details → |
| #44 Alabama | $43,161 | Details → |
| #45 Kansas | $43,161 | Details → |
| #46 Kentucky | $43,161 | Details → |
| #47 Oklahoma | $42,665 | Details → |
| #48 Arkansas | $41,672 | Details → |
| #49 West Virginia | $41,672 | Details → |
| #50 Mississippi | $41,176 | Details → |
Stand Out from the Competition
85% of recruiters say a professionally written resume increases interview rates by 40%. Stand out from 378,200 other Correctional Officers.
Get a Professional Resume →Key Responsibilities
- ● Monitor inmate activities
- ● Enforce facility rules
- ● Conduct searches
- ● Escort inmates
- ● Write incident reports
Top Skills
Education Required
High school diploma
Job Outlook
Decline — projected -2% growth over the next decade
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