The average pay for a Correctional Officer is $15.97 per hour.
The average pay for a Correctional Officer is $37,398 per year.
Job Description for Correctional Officer
A correctional officer works at a prison, jail, or similar institution. They are responsible for maintaining the safety and control of all persons remanded to the custody of the facility. The help ensure and enforce all procedures and regulations as required by the jurisdiction and management.
Read More...- Maintain security of the jail or institution.
- Supervise prisoners and maintain security, rules, regulations and cleanliness in correctional facility.
- Responsible for transporting or moving prisoners.
- Receive and secure prisoners until their release.
Popular Employer Salaries for Correctional Officer
Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), Texas Department of Criminal Justice, The GEO Group, Inc., Dept. of Corrections, and Federal Bureau of Prisons are top-notch employers for Correctional Officers in this area. For Correctional Officers, comfortable salaries can be found at NYSDocs; in fact, median earnings sit around $59K, the highest in the area. Federal Bureau of Prisons, Oregon Department of Corrections, and The GEO Group, Inc. also offer top salaries for Correctional Officers. Workers at these firms can expect to earn about $52K, $47K, and $37K, respectively.
Indiana Department of Corrections, Idaho Department of Corrections and Florida Department of Corrections are three other employers with a reputation for below-average pay, all showing salaries around $32K.
Common Career Paths for Correctional Officer
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Correctional Officers who advance into the role of a Registered Nurse are fairly uncommon. Registered Nurses on average earn $56K per year. A Security Officer role is the most prevalent career advancement for Correctional Officers. Paychecks for that role are $25K on average. The Manager of Correctional Officers position is another common transition for Correctional Officers; in this role, salaries are typically at the $45K mark.
Correctional Officer Job Listings
Popular Skills for Correctional Officer
Survey results suggest that Correctional Officers use a fairly large toolkit of professional skills. Most notably, facility with Safety Compliance and Transport are correlated to pay that is significantly above average, leading to increases of 39 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Skills that pay less than market rate include Writing Procedures & Documentation, Security Risk Management, and Military. Aptitude in Oral / Verbal Communication tends to also indicate an understanding of Security Policies and Procedures.
Pay by Experience Level for Correctional Officer
Pay by Experience for a Correctional Officer has a positive trend. An entry-level Correctional Officer with less than 5 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $32,000 based on 939 salaries provided by anonymous users. Average total compensation includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay. A Correctional Officer with mid-career experience which includes employees with 5 to 10 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $36,000 based on 375 salaries. An experienced Correctional Officer which includes employees with 10 to 20 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $40,000 based on 350 salaries. A Correctional Officer with late-career experience which includes employees with greater than 20 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $49,000 based on 139 salaries.
Pay Difference by Location
For Correctional Officers, Los Angeles provides a pay rate that is 75 percent greater than the national average. Correctional Officers will also find cushy salaries in San Diego (+48 percent), New York (+26 percent), Salem (+12 percent), and Baltimore (+12 percent). In Raleigh, salaries are 14 percent below the national average and represent the lowest-paying market. Lawton and Florida are a couple other places where companies are known to pay below the median — salaries are 12 percent lower and 11 percent lower, respectively.
Correctional Officer Reviews
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Key Stats for Correctional Officer
Gender
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Female
27 % |
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Male
73 % |
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Job Satisfaction
| Highly satisfied |
Rated 4 out of 5 based on 373 votes. |
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