Guard inmates in penal or rehabilitative institutions in accordance with established regulations and procedures. May guard prisoners in transit between jail, courtroom, prison, or other point. Includes deputy sheriffs and police who spend the majority of their time guarding prisoners in correctional institutions.
National median · BLS
$58,940
▲ +1.67%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$63,630
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
380,500
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Correctional Officers and Jailers
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$42,760
25th
$48,640
Median (50th)
$58,940
75th
$75,850
90th — top pay
$93,220
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Correctional Officers and Jailers
BLS projects employment of correctional officers and jailers to decline 7.4% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 28,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
397,800 → 368,200
-29,500 jobs
Projected change
-7.4%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
28,400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
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 correctional officers and jailers do
Conduct head counts to ensure that each prisoner is present.
Inspect conditions of locks, window bars, grills, doors, and gates at correctional facilities to ensure security and help prevent escapes.
Monitor conduct of prisoners in housing unit, or during work or recreational activities, according to established policies, regulations, and procedures, to prevent escape or violence.
Search prisoners and vehicles and conduct shakedowns of cells for valuables and contraband, such as weapons or drugs.
Guard facility entrances to screen visitors.
Record information, such as prisoner identification, charges, and incidents of inmate disturbance, keeping daily logs of prisoner activities.
Inspect mail for the presence of contraband.
Maintain records of prisoners' identification and charges.
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.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Correctional Officers and Jailers, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $58,940.
