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Correctional Officers and Jailers is a notable career in the 33 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Correctional Officers and Jailers against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 33-3012 |
| title | Correctional Officers and Jailers |
| onet code | 33-3012.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 33 |
| tot emp | 365,380 |
| a mean | 62,760 |
| a median | 57,970 |
| a pct10 | 41,750 |
| a pct25 | 47,520 |
| a pct75 | 75,330 |
| a pct90 | 93,000 |
| h mean | 30 |
| h median | 27 |
The day-to-day work of a correctional officers and jailers typically centers on conduct head counts to ensure that each prisoner is present. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, and Active Listening. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.66 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working correctional officers and jailers, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (92.4%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 0% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in California at $95,840 and lowest in Mississippi at $36,710 — a 2.6× spread. The top five states (California, New Jersey, Oregon, Massachusetts, Illinois) average $85,338. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $95,840 | $91,470 | $62,880 | $111,380 | 37,760 |
| New Jersey | $90,150 | $83,990 | $51,010 | $101,370 | 7,840 |
| Oregon | $83,120 | $79,330 | $59,240 | $96,790 | 3,910 |
| Massachusetts | $78,830 | $77,200 | $58,640 | $92,190 | 5,810 |
| Illinois | $78,750 | $79,360 | $52,790 | $105,590 | 12,210 |
| Nevada | $76,800 | $79,490 | $59,700 | $102,960 | 3,010 |
| Washington | $76,400 | $76,100 | $62,930 | $94,380 | 6,470 |
| New York | $75,330 | $75,060 | $56,150 | $92,190 | 29,710 |
| Wisconsin | $74,490 | $75,900 | $52,670 | $103,600 | 6,290 |
| Alaska | $71,360 | $74,120 | $60,340 | $92,160 | 810 |
| Hawaii | $66,250 | $68,930 | $61,190 | $78,320 | 1,260 |
| Michigan | $65,250 | $60,760 | $43,890 | $77,130 | 8,200 |
| Minnesota | $64,670 | $65,710 | $50,840 | $80,750 | 3,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,540 | $63,720 | $44,620 | $83,260 | 15,260 |
| Connecticut | $62,690 | $62,710 | $54,160 | $68,980 | 3,710 |
| Nebraska | $62,680 | $62,760 | $47,170 | $74,980 | 3,150 |
| Maryland | $62,380 | $64,670 | $52,500 | $78,490 | 5,950 |
| New Hampshire | $61,420 | $63,390 | $47,040 | $83,680 | 620 |
| Utah | $61,340 | $63,980 | $45,300 | $79,150 | 1,980 |
| Delaware | $61,000 | $59,340 | $43,850 | $73,390 | 1,610 |
| Colorado | $60,670 | $65,920 | $54,710 | $92,730 | 6,900 |
| Rhode Island | $60,170 | $63,660 | $47,520 | $98,390 | 990 |
| Ohio | $58,840 | $57,050 | $45,800 | $64,810 | 12,350 |
| North Dakota | $55,760 | $56,250 | $46,380 | $64,660 | 1,020 |
| Arizona | $54,970 | $55,160 | $45,620 | $65,850 | 13,840 |
| South Dakota | $52,310 | $50,960 | $35,610 | $63,590 | 1,380 |
| Wyoming | $51,740 | $55,110 | $43,160 | $71,130 | 850 |
| Tennessee | $51,490 | $51,290 | $37,920 | $65,190 | 7,610 |
| Idaho | $51,440 | $55,970 | $46,360 | $76,470 | 2,240 |
| Iowa | $51,420 | $54,720 | $44,530 | $66,000 | 3,210 |
| Maine | $51,270 | $52,180 | $43,170 | $58,920 | 1,010 |
| Texas | $51,020 | $52,460 | $44,660 | $61,270 | 39,150 |
| West Virginia | $49,990 | $55,410 | $39,990 | $81,430 | 2,640 |
| Virginia | $49,980 | $54,030 | $44,970 | $73,040 | 11,720 |
| Montana | $49,700 | $53,990 | $46,580 | $62,040 | 1,320 |
| Vermont | $49,110 | $51,620 | $42,430 | $65,830 | 460 |
| North Carolina | $49,080 | $50,450 | $39,070 | $62,930 | 11,780 |
| South Carolina | $48,470 | $50,740 | $41,640 | $69,810 | 4,940 |
| Florida | $48,260 | $57,980 | $45,760 | $81,600 | 22,390 |
| New Mexico | $47,420 | $48,300 | $36,880 | $60,120 | 2,960 |
| Alabama | $46,400 | $49,050 | $29,000 | $71,070 | 4,730 |
| Kansas | $46,080 | $47,250 | $35,830 | $60,250 | 3,640 |
| Indiana | $45,970 | $49,310 | $41,810 | $62,680 | 6,870 |
| Oklahoma | $45,970 | $45,740 | $33,320 | $57,740 | 3,690 |
| Georgia | $44,500 | $45,640 | $35,810 | $57,120 | 10,090 |
| Louisiana | $41,820 | $43,490 | $30,570 | $57,230 | 7,290 |
| Missouri | $41,310 | $43,920 | $36,370 | $54,190 | 5,920 |
| Arkansas | $40,330 | $41,900 | $30,790 | $49,940 | 4,250 |
| Kentucky | $40,230 | $43,510 | $29,230 | $65,150 | 5,870 |
| Mississippi | $36,710 | $39,010 | $26,090 | $51,680 | 4,530 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for correctional officers and jailers. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Booking Officer or Certified Detention Deputy frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Correctional Officers and Jailers compares to others in the 33 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Correctional Officers and Jailers
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
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