Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$66,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$6,500
10.1% of base
Total target cash
$72,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$4,00050th$6,50075th$10,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Correctional Officers and Jailers is a professional role within the function in the Protective Service job family.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
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.
Top skills:Social PerceptivenessMonitoringActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingReading Comprehension
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Correctional Officers and Jailers pay by experience level
Entry level$44,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$50,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$61,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$78,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$96,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-7.8%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
30,100
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Correctional Officers and Jailers salary by industry
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
362,970 workers
$66,500
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
191,530 workers
$68,500
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
157,270 workers
$63,000
Administrative and Support Services
16,380 workers
$53,500
Facilities Support Services
14,230 workers
$51,000
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
14,180 workers
$76,000
Hospitals
500 workers
$65,000
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals
490 workers
$66,000
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
490 workers
$41,000
Other Residential Care Facilities
450 workers
$42,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 296,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
25.8%
White
67.7%
Black or African American
28.2%
Asian
1.7%
Hispanic or Latino
15.6%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $47,410 to $58,940.
+24.3% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$44,500
Early career25th percentile
$50,500
Median50th percentile
$61,000
Experienced75th percentile
$78,500
Top earners90th percentile
$96,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Social PerceptivenessMonitoringActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingReading Comprehension
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$66,000
2027$68,500
2028$70,500
2029$73,000
2030$75,500
2031$78,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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How much does a Correctional Officers and Jailers make?
The median market pay for a Correctional Officers and Jailers in the United States is about $66,000 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Correctional Officers and Jailers?
Most Correctional Officers and Jailers pay falls between about $50,500 (25th percentile) and $78,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $96,500.
What does a Correctional Officers and Jailers do?
Core responsibilities include: conduct head counts to ensure that each prisoner is present; and inspect conditions of locks, window bars, grills, doors, and gates at correctional facilities to ensure security and help prevent escapes.
Is pay for Correctional Officers and Jailers roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $47,410 in 2020 to $58,940 in 2025, a change of +24.3% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Correctional Officers and Jailers pays 6% below the average across 28 roles in the Protective Service job family (family average $70,500).
Need Correctional Officers and Jailers pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
