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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

33-3012 Correctional Officers and Jailers

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 estimates for Correctional Officers and Jailers
Industry profile for Correctional Officers and Jailers
Geographic profile for Correctional Officers and Jailers

National estimates for Correctional Officers and Jailers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Correctional Officers and Jailers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
351,420 0.3 % $ 28.27 $ 58,810 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Correctional Officers and Jailers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 18.44 $ 21.58 $ 25.63 $ 32.97 $ 41.95
Annual Wage (2) $ 38,340 $ 44,890 $ 53,300 $ 68,580 $ 87,250

Industry profile for Correctional Officers and Jailers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Correctional Officers and Jailers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Correctional Officers and Jailers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Correctional Officers and Jailers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 181,650 8.57 $ 29.15 $ 60,630
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 140,200 2.54 $ 27.35 $ 56,880
Facilities Support Services 14,170 7.43 $ 21.61 $ 44,960
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 13,730 0.64 $ 33.18 $ 69,000
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 450 0.19 $ 27.02 $ 56,210

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Correctional Officers and Jailers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 181,650 8.57 $ 29.15 $ 60,630
Facilities Support Services 14,170 7.43 $ 21.61 $ 44,960
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 140,200 2.54 $ 27.35 $ 56,880
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 13,730 0.64 $ 33.18 $ 69,000
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 450 0.19 $ 27.02 $ 56,210

Top paying industries for Correctional Officers and Jailers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 13,730 0.64 $ 33.18 $ 69,000
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 181,650 8.57 $ 29.15 $ 60,630
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 140,200 2.54 $ 27.35 $ 56,880
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 450 0.19 $ 27.02 $ 56,210
Facilities Support Services 14,170 7.43 $ 21.61 $ 44,960

Geographic profile for Correctional Officers and Jailers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Correctional Officers and Jailers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Correctional Officers and Jailers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of correctional officers and jailers by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Correctional Officers and Jailers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 35,570 2.62 1.13 $ 23.82 $ 49,540
California 33,740 1.88 0.81 $ 42.57 $ 88,550
New York 26,080 2.78 1.20 $ 35.86 $ 74,580
Florida 18,890 1.97 0.85 $ 24.44 $ 50,820
Pennsylvania 15,250 2.56 1.11 $ 29.52 $ 61,410


Map of location quotient of correctional officers and jailers by state, May 2023


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Correctional Officers and Jailers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Arizona 13,260 4.24 1.83 $ 26.12 $ 54,330
Mississippi 4,530 3.94 1.70 $ 17.79 $ 37,000
New Mexico 3,230 3.82 1.65 $ 20.51 $ 42,660
Alaska 1,170 3.77 1.63 $ 35.29 $ 73,400
West Virginia 2,590 3.77 1.63 $ 24.02 $ 49,970


Map of annual mean wages of correctional officers and jailers by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Correctional Officers and Jailers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 33,740 1.88 0.81 $ 42.57 $ 88,550
New Jersey 8,540 2.03 0.88 $ 39.38 $ 81,900
Massachusetts 5,950 1.63 0.71 $ 37.14 $ 77,260
New York 26,080 2.78 1.20 $ 35.86 $ 74,580
Oregon 4,330 2.23 0.96 $ 35.54 $ 73,930



Map of employment of correctional officers and jailers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Correctional Officers and Jailers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 14,060 1.48 0.64 $ 40.68 $ 84,610
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 8,050 3.52 1.52 $ 26.61 $ 55,350
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 7,910 2.49 1.07 $ 24.51 $ 50,980
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5,600 1.98 0.86 $ 30.20 $ 62,820
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,970 1.25 0.54 $ 26.72 $ 55,580
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 4,770 1.06 0.46 $ 35.21 $ 73,240
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,520 1.64 0.71 $ 38.34 $ 79,740
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,990 0.65 0.28 $ 38.61 $ 80,320
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 3,960 2.38 1.03 $ 42.44 $ 88,280
Bakersfield, CA 3,280 9.94 4.30 $ 44.83 $ 93,250


Map of location quotient of correctional officers and jailers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Correctional Officers and Jailers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pine Bluff, AR 1,130 38.72 16.73 $ 21.06 $ 43,810
The Villages, FL 870 22.78 9.84 $ 28.02 $ 58,290
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 1,330 21.36 9.23 $ 42.19 $ 87,740
Yuma, AZ 1,260 18.97 8.20 $ 25.03 $ 52,070
Cumberland, MD-WV 670 18.27 7.89 $ 28.52 $ 59,330
Glens Falls, NY 890 17.84 7.71 $ 31.31 $ 65,120
Elmira, NY 570 17.16 7.42 $ 34.31 $ 71,370
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 550 16.38 7.08 $ 25.00 $ 51,990
Terre Haute, IN 860 13.34 5.76 $ 25.25 $ 52,520
Texarkana, TX-AR 660 11.59 5.01 $ 21.57 $ 44,860