Correctional officers and jailers

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

351k

Average Age

40.1

Estimated Job Growth

−7.77%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$64,617

Average Male Salary

$67,907

Average Female Salary

$56,136

About

Correctional officers and jailers are most often employed by the Justice, public order, & safety activities industry. The average yearly wage for Correctional officers and jailers was $64,617 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Correctional officers and jailers are Deep East Texas COG (West) & Walker County PUMA, TX, Clinton, Franklin, Essex & Hamilton Counties PUMA, NY, and Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, & Wakulla Counties PUMA, FL. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Correctional officers and jailers are Deep East Texas COG (West) & Walker County PUMA, TX, Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas & Siskiyou Counties PUMA, CA, and Clinton, Franklin, Essex & Hamilton Counties PUMA, NY.

Service Occupations Protective service occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Correctional officers and jailers workforce. Correctional officers and jailers workforce in 2024 was 350,963 people, of which 28% were women and 72% were men. Correctional officers and jailers are paid most in Riverside County (Southwest)--Lake Elsinore & Canyon Lake Cities PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in Deep East Texas COG (West) & Walker County PUMA, TX.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

252,856

Male Workforce

± 12.3k

98,107

Female Workforce

± 7.69k

The Correctional officers and jailers workforce in 2024 was 350,963 people (28% women and 72% men). This implies an average annual growth of −10.4% between 2018 (391,570) and 2024 (350,963).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Correctional officers and jailers.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Rhode Island ($96,817), Massachusetts ($93,710), and California ($93,270).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$64,617

AVERAGE WAGE

#241 in the ranking (2018)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Correctional officers and jailers earned an average of $64,617, $5,261 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Correctional officers and jailers in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2018.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.287

WAGE GINI

In 2024, Correctional officers and jailers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.287, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Correctional officers and jailers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Correctional officers and jailers compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Correctional officers and jailers and on wages for those in the field. Justice, public order, & safety activities is the industry that employs the most Correctional officers and jailers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Correctional officers and jailers, by average wage, is Other administrative & other support services ($71,919).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

351k

2024 Workforce

± 14,528

−2.87%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 5.98%

This graphic shows the share of Correctional officers and jailers employed by various industries. Justice, public order, & safety activities employs the largest share of Correctional officers and jailers at 97.9%, followed by Executive offices & legislative bodies with 1.36% and National security & international affairs with 0.472%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Correctional officers and jailers in the US. The workforce of Correctional officers and jailers in 2024 was 350,963 people, with 28% woman, and 72% men. The average age of male Correctional officers and jailers in the workforce is 40 and of female Correctional officers and jailers is 40.1, and the most common race/ethnicity for Correctional officers and jailers is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Correctional officers and jailers in 2024 was 350,963 people, with 28% woman, and 72% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (51,277 people), 25 to 29 years (46,848 people), and 35 to 39 years (45,360 people). Among them they concentrated 40.9% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 18% of Correctional officers and jailers workers were Hispanic and 82% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (66.3%), Puerto Rican (16.4)%, and All Other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino (4.83)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 56.7% of the Correctional officers and jailers workforce were White, of which 22.1% were women and 77.9% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (23.8%) and Two or More Races (11.6%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Correctional officers and jailers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Correctional officers and jailers is Protective Services but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Protective Services.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Correctional officers and jailers in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Protective Services (19,803 people), Business (8,447 people), and Social Sciences (6,187 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Correctional officers and jailers workers were Some college (117,388 people), High School or Equivalent (116,793 people), and Bachelors Degree (51,148 people).

The graphic shows the Correctional officers and jailers workforce by gender and educational level.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Correctional Officers and Jailers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Correctional Officers and Jailers are expected to see a growth of −7.77% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

−7.77%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Correctional officers and jailers. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.