Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$42,760
- 25th Percentile — Junior$48,640
- 50th Percentile — Median$58,940
- 75th Percentile — Senior$75,850
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$93,220
The top 10% of Correctional Officers and Jailers earn $93,220 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $42,760, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia (est.) | $96,718 | +52.0% |
| California | $92,410 | +45.2% |
| New Jersey | $87,780 | +38.0% |
| Massachusetts | $82,890 | +30.3% |
| Nevada | $82,150 | +29.1% |
| Oregon | $80,890 | +27.1% |
| Washington | $78,150 | +22.8% |
| Illinois | $78,080 | +22.7% |
| New York | $77,240 | +21.4% |
| Alaska | $74,430 | +17.0% |
| Wisconsin | $73,690 | +15.8% |
| Rhode Island (est.) | $73,174 | +15.0% |
| Hawaii | $72,280 | +13.6% |
| Utah | $67,930 | +6.8% |
| Minnesota | $67,870 | +6.7% |
| Colorado | $66,360 | +4.3% |
| Maryland | $66,140 | +3.9% |
| New Hampshire | $65,030 | +2.2% |
| Pennsylvania | $64,650 | +1.6% |
| Connecticut | $64,570 | +1.5% |
| Nebraska | $64,120 | +0.8% |
| Delaware | $63,580 | -0.1% |
| Michigan | $63,120 | -0.8% |
| Ohio | $58,660 | -7.8% |
| Florida | $57,900 | -9.0% |
| Idaho | $57,350 | -9.9% |
| Wyoming | $57,310 | -9.9% |
| Iowa | $57,140 | -10.2% |
| Vermont | $56,890 | -10.6% |
| West Virginia | $56,670 | -10.9% |
| Arizona | $56,080 | -11.9% |
| North Dakota | $55,090 | -13.4% |
| Virginia | $54,450 | -14.4% |
| Maine | $53,790 | -15.5% |
| Kansas | $53,770 | -15.5% |
| Texas | $53,330 | -16.2% |
| South Dakota | $53,260 | -16.3% |
| Montana | $52,980 | -16.7% |
| South Carolina | $51,520 | -19.0% |
| Tennessee | $51,420 | -19.2% |
| North Carolina | $51,390 | -19.2% |
| Indiana | $51,030 | -19.8% |
| Alabama | $50,300 | -20.9% |
| New Mexico | $48,570 | -23.7% |
| Georgia | $47,980 | -24.6% |
| Missouri | $46,230 | -27.3% |
| Oklahoma | $45,380 | -28.7% |
| Kentucky | $44,870 | -29.5% |
| Louisiana | $42,830 | -32.7% |
| Arkansas | $41,920 | -34.1% |
| Mississippi | $40,550 | -36.3% |
What Factors Affect Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Correctional Officers and Jailers is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: California pays an average of $92,410, while Mississippi pays $40,550 — a gap of $51,860 per year.
The middle half of Correctional Officers and Jailers earn between $48,640 and $75,850 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $42,760, while the top 10% earn more than $93,220.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Firefighters $63,630/yr United States +0.0% vs this role
- First-Line Supervisors of Police $112,190/yr United States +76.3% vs this role
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators $99,430/yr United States +56.3% vs this role
- Security Guards $42,470/yr United States 33.3% vs this role
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting $96,930/yr United States +52.3% vs this role
- Private Detectives and Investigators $60,150/yr United States 5.5% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +59.4% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +115.8% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Correctional Officers and Jailers?
The average salary for Correctional Officers and Jailers in the United States is $63,630 per year, with a median of $58,940.
What is the starting salary for Correctional Officers and Jailers?
Entry-level Correctional Officers and Jailers typically earn between $42,760 and $48,640 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Correctional Officers and Jailers the most?
California pays Correctional Officers and Jailers the most at $92,410 per year on average, followed by New Jersey ($87,780) and Massachusetts ($82,890).
How much do Correctional Officers and Jailers make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $63,630, Correctional Officers and Jailers earn approximately $30.59 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Correctional Officers and Jailers a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 380,500 Correctional Officers and Jailers jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $63,630 and a median of $58,940 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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