SOC 33-3012 · May 2025
Correctional Officer Salary
Correctional Officers in the US earn a median of $58,940 a year ($30.59 an hour on average), according to the BLS May 2025 wage survey. Average Correctional Officer pay climbed from $50,130 in 2019 to $63,630 in 2025, a +26.9% change in 6 years.
Median annual
$58,940
Half of all Correctional Officers in the United States earn more than this figure, half earn less. From the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release.
Wage trend
+26.9% since 2019 · +1.4% YoY
Hourly
$30.59
Job growth 2025-35
-7.4%
US workers
380,500
BLS series
Annual median wage for Correctional Officers and Jailers in All Industries in the United States
Salary range
From entry to top decile
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Correctional Officers is $42,760 – $93,220.
Percentile distribution
USD · annual
10th
$42,760
25th
$48,640
Median
$58,940
75th
$75,850
90th
$93,220
Percentile bands
Where your pay would sit
Percentile bands
Annual wages at each point of the BLS distribution for Correctional Officers. Where you sit depends on experience, employer, location and credentials.
| Percentile | What it means | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | 10% earn less. Common for new entrants | $42,760 |
| 25th percentile | A quarter earn less | $48,640 |
| Median | Half earn more, half earn less | $58,940 |
| 75th percentile | A quarter earn more | $75,850 |
| 90th percentile | 10% earn more. Often senior or specialist staff | $93,220 |
Geography
Correctional Officer pay by state
Correctional Officers earn the most in California ($96,370, +64% against the national median) and the least in Mississippi ($38,720). BLS publishes a May 2025 estimate for this occupation in 49 of 51 states and D.C.
National median
$58,940
Highest-paying states for correctional officers
| State | Annual median | vs national | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $96,370 | +64% | 37,860 |
| New Jersey | $94,770 | +61% | 7,570 |
| Massachusetts | $86,310 | +46% | 6,360 |
| Oregon | $83,690 | +42% | 3,650 |
| Washington | $79,460 | +35% | 6,800 |
| Illinois | $79,190 | +34% | 12,190 |
| New York | $76,820 | +30% | 27,770 |
| Nevada | $76,490 | +30% | 3,240 |
| Wisconsin | $73,470 | +25% | 7,360 |
| Alaska | $71,360 | +21% | 850 |
All 49 states, highest to lowest
| State | Annual median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| California | $96,370 | 37,860 |
| New Jersey | $94,770 | 7,570 |
| Massachusetts | $86,310 | 6,360 |
| Oregon | $83,690 | 3,650 |
| Washington | $79,460 | 6,800 |
| Illinois | $79,190 | 12,190 |
| New York | $76,820 | 27,770 |
| Nevada | $76,490 | 3,240 |
| Wisconsin | $73,470 | 7,360 |
| Alaska | $71,360 | 850 |
| Hawaii | $69,570 | 1,310 |
| Utah | $67,290 | 2,050 |
| Minnesota | $66,040 | 5,350 |
| Delaware | $65,880 | 1,730 |
| Connecticut | $64,750 | 3,780 |
| Maryland | $64,250 | 6,060 |
| Michigan | $64,020 | 8,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,460 | 15,560 |
| Nebraska | $63,380 | 3,250 |
| Colorado | $62,140 | 7,290 |
| New Hampshire | $61,360 | 680 |
| Ohio | $59,370 | 12,610 |
| Kansas | $56,120 | 3,380 |
| Arizona | $54,970 | 14,230 |
| Wyoming | $54,780 | 920 |
| Vermont | $53,810 | 450 |
| Idaho | $53,580 | 2,370 |
| South Dakota | $53,040 | 1,490 |
| Iowa | $53,040 | 3,440 |
| West Virginia | $52,890 | 2,980 |
| Maine | $52,730 | 1,090 |
| Texas | $52,670 | 44,700 |
| North Dakota | $52,460 | 1,290 |
| Tennessee | $50,940 | 6,990 |
| North Carolina | $50,550 | 11,900 |
| Virginia | $50,140 | 11,270 |
| Florida | $49,710 | 24,280 |
| Montana | $49,180 | 1,430 |
| Indiana | $48,340 | 8,060 |
| New Mexico | $47,940 | 2,740 |
| South Carolina | $47,890 | 4,870 |
| Georgia | $47,520 | 10,640 |
| Alabama | $46,660 | 4,970 |
| Oklahoma | $45,690 | 3,730 |
| Missouri | $42,620 | 6,670 |
| Kentucky | $42,310 | 6,770 |
| Arkansas | $40,330 | 4,460 |
| Louisiana | $39,850 | 7,960 |
| Mississippi | $38,720 | 4,040 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates, May 2025, all industries.
What affects this salary
Pay drivers for Correctional Officers
Correctional officers oversee individuals arrested, awaiting trial, or sentenced to incarceration in jails, prisons, and reformatories. The role requires high school education, a state-administered training academy (usually 4-12 weeks), and physical fitness certification. Pay varies substantially by employing jurisdiction: federal Bureau of Prisons positions and high-cost-state correctional systems pay above the OEWS median; rural county jails pay below.
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread is $42,760 – $93,220. That gap reflects experience, certification, employer type, geographic cost of living, and shift differentials where applicable.
Geography matters. The best-paying states for this role are California, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Pay in California runs 2.5 times the level in Mississippi, before any adjustment for cost of living.
Getting in. BLS lists the typical entry-level education as high school diploma or equivalent, and projects about 28,400 openings a year over 2025-35. Employment is projected to shrink 7.4% over the same period, against 3.5% for all occupations.
Frequently asked
Questions readers ask
Frequently asked
What is the average Correctional Officer salary in the US?
How much does a Correctional Officer make an hour?
How much do Correctional Officers make at the low and high end?
Which state pays Correctional Officers the most?
Is the average Correctional Officer salary higher than the median?
Is Correctional Officer a growing career?
Open positions
Open Correctional Officer roles hiring now
Browse current Correctional Officer listings on Indeed and ZipRecruiter, filtered to your role.
Source & methodology
Wage and employment figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 release. Standard Occupational Classification: 33-3012. Figures represent the national median, mean, and percentile distribution across all employers and industries. Hourly equivalents assume a 2,080-hour work year. Job growth, annual openings and typical education are from the BLS Employment Projections program, 2025-35; see the Occupational Outlook Handbook entry. Read our methodology for details on how the data is sourced, transformed, and refreshed.