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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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)
405,870 0.6 % $ 25.16 $ 52,340 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for Correctional Officers and Jailers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 15.78 $ 18.24 $ 22.79 $ 30.43 $ 39.39
Annual Wage (2) $ 32,830 $ 37,950 $ 47,410 $ 63,290 $ 81,940

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) 209,390 9.52 $ 25.67 $ 53,400
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 156,120 2.89 $ 24.62 $ 51,200
Facilities Support Services 23,540 14.62 $ 21.87 $ 45,480
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 15,380 0.74 $ 28.55 $ 59,390
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 1,150 0.47 $ 29.96 $ 62,310

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)
Facilities Support Services 23,540 14.62 $ 21.87 $ 45,480
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 209,390 9.52 $ 25.67 $ 53,400
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 156,120 2.89 $ 24.62 $ 51,200
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 15,380 0.74 $ 28.55 $ 59,390
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 1,150 0.47 $ 29.96 $ 62,310

Top paying industries for Correctional Officers and Jailers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 1,150 0.47 $ 29.96 $ 62,310
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 15,380 0.74 $ 28.55 $ 59,390
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 209,390 9.52 $ 25.67 $ 53,400
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 156,120 2.89 $ 24.62 $ 51,200
Facilities Support Services 23,540 14.62 $ 21.87 $ 45,480

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.





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 47,040 3.89 1.33 $ 21.26 $ 44,230
California 37,810 2.30 0.79 $ 38.99 $ 81,100
Florida 25,080 2.97 1.02 $ 21.89 $ 45,540
Pennsylvania 17,770 3.22 1.10 $ 27.51 $ 57,220
North Carolina 15,050 3.51 1.20 $ 19.42 $ 40,390




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 13,740 4.85 1.66 $ 21.57 $ 44,870
Arkansas 5,620 4.77 1.64 $ 17.12 $ 35,620
West Virginia 3,000 4.61 1.58 $ 20.51 $ 42,660
New Mexico 3,420 4.36 1.49 $ 18.56 $ 38,600
Texas 47,040 3.89 1.33 $ 21.26 $ 44,230




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 37,810 2.30 0.79 $ 38.99 $ 81,100
Massachusetts 5,670 1.69 0.58 $ 34.79 $ 72,360
Rhode Island 1,030 2.32 0.79 $ 34.67 $ 72,110
New Jersey 9,740 2.57 0.88 $ 34.53 $ 71,810
New York (8) (8) (8) $ 33.41 $ 69,490





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 20,680 2.34 0.80 $ 35.84 $ 74,550
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 8,460 2.85 0.98 $ 21.91 $ 45,580
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 7,400 2.74 0.94 $ 26.70 $ 55,530
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 5,990 2.39 0.82 $ 28.50 $ 59,290
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 5,420 1.24 0.43 $ 31.29 $ 65,080
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 5,400 1.51 0.52 $ 24.72 $ 51,420
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 5,210 3.50 1.20 $ 39.74 $ 82,650
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 5,190 1.99 0.68 $ 35.12 $ 73,050
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 4,080 1.55 0.53 $ 18.93 $ 39,380
Bakersfield, CA 3,910 12.82 4.39 $ 41.27 $ 85,850




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 1,500 53.42 18.31 $ 17.83 $ 37,090
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 1,820 31.80 10.90 $ 34.39 $ 71,530
Elmira, NY 830 26.15 8.96 $ 33.42 $ 69,520
Glens Falls, NY 930 19.68 6.74 $ 30.00 $ 62,410
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 510 16.15 5.53 $ 20.49 $ 42,610
Killeen-Temple, TX 2,130 15.70 5.38 $ 19.94 $ 41,480
Jefferson City, MO 1,010 13.91 4.77 $ 15.32 $ 31,860
Terre Haute, IN 860 13.71 4.70 $ 21.61 $ 44,960
State College, PA 880 13.61 4.67 $ 27.90 $ 58,030
Wichita Falls, TX 720 13.19 4.52 $ 19.67 $ 40,910