Home › Protective Service Occupations › Correctional Officers and Jailers

Correctional Officers and Jailers salary in the U.S.

Correctional Officers and Jailers in the U.S. earn a median of $58,940 a year ($28.34 an hour), based on BLS data for 380,500 workers.

Median salary
$58,940
Hourly
$28.34
Average
$63,630
Top 10% earn
$93,220
Workers
380,500

Pay ranges from $42,760 for the lowest-paid 10% to $93,220 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $63,630, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.

Pay range for correctional officers and jailers in the U.S.

$0$100,000
Pay levelYearlyHourly
10th percentile (entry level)$42,760$20.56
25th percentile$48,640$23.38
Median$58,940$28.34
75th percentile$75,850$36.47
90th percentile (top earners)$93,220$44.82
Average (mean)$63,630$30.59

Half of correctional officers and jailers earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.

Median paycheck, before taxes

Pay periodAmount
Monthly$4,911.67
Semi-monthly (24 a year)$2,455.83
Biweekly (26 a year)$2,266.92
Weekly$1,133.46
Hourly$28.34

Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.

Correctional Officers and Jailers salary by state

StateMedian salaryWorkers
California$96,37037,860
New Jersey$94,7707,570
Massachusetts$86,3106,360
Oregon$83,6903,650
Washington$79,4606,800
Illinois$79,19012,190
New York$76,82027,770
Nevada$76,4903,240
Wisconsin$73,4707,360
Alaska$71,360850
Hawaii$69,5701,310
Utah$67,2902,050
Minnesota$66,0405,350
Delaware$65,8801,730
Connecticut$64,7503,780
Maryland$64,2506,060
Michigan$64,0208,220
Pennsylvania$63,46015,560
Nebraska$63,3803,250
Colorado$62,1407,290
New Hampshire$61,360680
Ohio$59,37012,610
Kansas$56,1203,380
Arizona$54,97014,230
Wyoming$54,780920
Vermont$53,810450
Idaho$53,5802,370
Iowa$53,0403,440
South Dakota$53,0401,490
West Virginia$52,8902,980
Maine$52,7301,090
Texas$52,67044,700
North Dakota$52,4601,290
Tennessee$50,9406,990
North Carolina$50,55011,900
Virginia$50,14011,270
Florida$49,71024,280
Montana$49,1801,430
Indiana$48,3408,060
New Mexico$47,9402,740
South Carolina$47,8904,870
Georgia$47,52010,640
Alabama$46,6604,970
Oklahoma$45,6903,730
Missouri$42,6206,670
Kentucky$42,3106,770
Arkansas$40,3304,460
Louisiana$39,8507,960
Mississippi$38,7204,040
Puerto Rico$36,0303,740

Best-paying metro areas for correctional officers and jailers

Metro areaMedian salaryWorkers
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$132,6701,050
Salinas, CA$109,6201,510
Bakersfield-Delano, CA$107,2203,280
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$107,220710
Stockton-Lodi, CA$107,2201,220
Vineland, NJ$106,5701,090
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$99,8801,500
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$94,740470
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$94,7304,800
Fresno, CA$94,0102,660
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$93,22014,730
Worcester, MA$91,980640
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$89,7301,920
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$89,0604,510
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$84,6401,350

Metro areas with the most correctional officers and jailers

Metro areaWorkersMedian salary
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ14,730$93,220
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ8,920$57,280
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX8,650$53,810
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA6,070$78,770
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD5,570$67,200
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX5,170$58,930
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL5,010$66,770
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN4,940$84,550
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA4,800$94,730
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH4,510$89,060
Bakersfield-Delano, CA3,280$107,220
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV3,200$70,570
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD3,110$64,250
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA2,910$49,380
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI2,670$69,640

Related jobs in the U.S.

JobMedian salaryHourly
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210$36.64
Detectives and Criminal Investigators$93,790$45.09
Bailiff$56,600$27.21
Parking Enforcement Worker$46,730$22.47
Fish and Game Wardens$74,060$35.60
Transit and Railroad Police$90,230$43.38
Security Guard$38,020$18.28
Firefighter$59,280$28.50
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers$33,580$16.14
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$106,040$50.98
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$93,530$44.96
Crossing Guards and Flaggers$38,100$18.32
Protective Service Workers, All Other$42,540$20.45
First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers$55,940$26.90

More: Protective Service Occupations

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 33-3012. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a correctional officers and jailers make in the U.S.?

The median salary for correctional officers and jailers in the U.S. is $58,940 a year, or $28.34 an hour. Pay ranges from $42,760 for the lowest-paid 10% to $93,220 for the top 10%.

How much do the highest-paid correctional officers and jailers make in the U.S.?

The top 10% of correctional officers and jailers in the U.S. earn at least $93,220 a year. The top 25% earn $75,850 or more.

What is the starting pay for correctional officers and jailers in the U.S.?

Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $42,760 a year, and a quarter of correctional officers and jailers earn $48,640 or less.

How many correctional officers and jailers work in the U.S.?

About 380,500 correctional officers and jailers are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.