Occupation salary profile

Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

SOC 21-1092 BLS OEWS May 2025

Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.

National median · BLS
$66,270
▲ +2.71% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$73,130
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
89,390
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$46,840
25th$54,250
Median (50th)$66,270
75th$84,780
90th — top pay$107,790

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

BLS projects employment of probation officers and correctional treatment specialists to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 7,900 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
93,700 → 96,500
+2,800 jobs
Projected change
+3%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
7,900
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Social Perceptiveness4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Critical Thinking3.9
  • Reading Comprehension3.9
  • Complex Problem Solving3.8
  • Monitoring3.8
  • Writing3.8
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.6
  • Active Learning3.4
Top knowledge areas
  • Law and Government4.4
  • Public Safety and Security4.3
  • English Language4.1
  • Psychology4.1
  • Therapy and Counseling4.0
  • Sociology and Anthropology3.6
  • Administrative3.4
  • Customer and Personal Service3.2
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareFacebookMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordAppointment scheduling softwareCase management softwareCorel WordPerfect Office SuiteCourt records databasesElectronic tracking device softwareEmail softwareLinkedInSpeech recognition softwareTyler Technologies Odyssey Case ManagerWeb browser software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What probation officers and correctional treatment specialists do

  • Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
  • Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
  • Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
  • Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
  • Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.
  • Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
  • Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.
  • Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.
Also called
Correctional CounselorJuvenile Probation OfficerParole Officer (PO)Probation OfficerAdult Probation OfficerDeputy Probation Officer (DPO)Parole AgentProbation AgentProbation and Parole OfficerProbation Counselor
More job titles for this occupation (45)
Adult Probation and Parole OfficerAttendance OfficerCommunity Corrections SpecialistCommunity Supervision OfficerCorrectional Case ManagerCorrectional Casework SpecialistCorrectional OfficerCorrectional Probation OfficerCorrectional Probation SpecialistCorrectional SpecialistCorrectional Treatment Case ManagerCorrectional Treatment SpecialistCorrectional Treatment Specialist Case ManagerCorrections CounselorCorrections SpecialistCourt WorkerCrime Prevention WorkerDCC Parole Officer (Division of Community Corrections Parole Officer)Deputy Juvenile OfficerDetention AttendantDetention OfficerDetention WorkerIntensive Supervision OfficerJuvenile Correctional OfficerJuvenile CounselorJuvenile Court CounselorJuvenile Detention OfficerJuvenile Justice SpecialistJuvenile OfficerJuvenile Probation Parole OfficerJuvenile Probation Parole SpecialistJuvenile SpecialistJuvenile Supervision OfficerOffender Employment Specialist (OES)Offender Job Retention SpecialistOffender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS)Parole SpecialistPeople OfficerPrisoner Classification InterviewerProbation and Patrol AgentProbation Case SpecialistProbation SpecialistProbation WorkerTruant OfficerYouth Probation Officer

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.