Correctional Officers and Jailers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for correctional officers and jailerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $63,630 ≈ $31/hr
National median salary $58,940
Total employment 380,500 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth -7.8%
Decline
Annual openings 30,100 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 387,500 → 357,400 (-30,100)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$92,410
- New Jersey$87,780
- Massachusetts$82,890
- Nevada$82,150
- Oregon$80,890
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$40,550
- Arkansas$41,920
- Louisiana$42,830
- Kentucky$44,870
- Oklahoma$45,380
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $92,410 | $96,370 | $44 | +45.2% | 37,860 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $87,780 | $94,770 | $42 | +38% | 7,570 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $82,890 | $86,310 | $40 | +30.3% | 6,360 |
| 4 | Nevada | $82,150 | $76,490 | $40 | +29.1% | 3,240 |
| 5 | Oregon | $80,890 | $83,690 | $39 | +27.1% | 3,650 |
| 6 | Washington | $78,150 | $79,460 | $38 | +22.8% | 6,800 |
| 7 | Illinois | $78,080 | $79,190 | $38 | +22.7% | 12,190 |
| 8 | New York | $77,240 | $76,820 | $37 | +21.4% | 27,770 |
| 9 | Alaska | $74,430 | $71,360 | $36 | +17% | 850 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $73,690 | $73,470 | $35 | +15.8% | 7,360 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $72,280 | $69,570 | $35 | +13.6% | 1,310 |
| 12 | Utah | $67,930 | $67,290 | $33 | +6.8% | 2,050 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $67,870 | $66,040 | $33 | +6.7% | 5,350 |
| 14 | Colorado | $66,360 | $62,140 | $32 | +4.3% | 7,290 |
| 15 | Maryland | $66,140 | $64,250 | $32 | +3.9% | 6,060 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $65,030 | $61,360 | $31 | +2.2% | 680 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $64,650 | $63,460 | $31 | +1.6% | 15,560 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $64,570 | $64,750 | $31 | +1.5% | 3,780 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $64,120 | $63,380 | $31 | +0.8% | 3,250 |
| 20 | Delaware | $63,580 | $65,880 | $31 | -0.1% | 1,730 |
| 21 | Michigan | $63,120 | $64,020 | $30 | -0.8% | 8,220 |
| 22 | Ohio | $58,660 | $59,370 | $28 | -7.8% | 12,610 |
| 23 | Florida | $57,900 | $49,710 | $28 | -9% | 24,280 |
| 24 | Idaho | $57,350 | $53,580 | $28 | -9.9% | 2,370 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $57,310 | $54,780 | $28 | -9.9% | 920 |
| 26 | Iowa | $57,140 | $53,040 | $27 | -10.2% | 3,440 |
| 27 | Vermont | $56,890 | $53,810 | $27 | -10.6% | 450 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $56,670 | $52,890 | $27 | -10.9% | 2,980 |
| 29 | Arizona | $56,080 | $54,970 | $27 | -11.9% | 14,230 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $55,090 | $52,460 | $26 | -13.4% | 1,290 |
| 31 | Virginia | $54,450 | $50,140 | $26 | -14.4% | 11,270 |
| 32 | Maine | $53,790 | $52,730 | $26 | -15.5% | 1,090 |
| 33 | Kansas | $53,770 | $56,120 | $26 | -15.5% | 3,380 |
| 34 | Texas | $53,330 | $52,670 | $26 | -16.2% | 44,700 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $53,260 | $53,040 | $26 | -16.3% | 1,490 |
| 36 | Montana | $52,980 | $49,180 | $25 | -16.7% | 1,430 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $51,520 | $47,890 | $25 | -19% | 4,870 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $51,420 | $50,940 | $25 | -19.2% | 6,990 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $51,390 | $50,550 | $25 | -19.2% | 11,900 |
| 40 | Indiana | $51,030 | $48,340 | $25 | -19.8% | 8,060 |
| 41 | Alabama | $50,300 | $46,660 | $24 | -20.9% | 4,970 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $48,570 | $47,940 | $23 | -23.7% | 2,740 |
| 43 | Georgia | $47,980 | $47,520 | $23 | -24.6% | 10,640 |
| 44 | Missouri | $46,230 | $42,620 | $22 | -27.3% | 6,670 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $45,380 | $45,690 | $22 | -28.7% | 3,730 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $44,870 | $42,310 | $22 | -29.5% | 6,770 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $42,830 | $39,850 | $21 | -32.7% | 7,960 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $41,920 | $40,330 | $20 | -34.1% | 4,460 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $40,550 | $38,720 | $20 | -36.3% | 4,040 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 411 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $132,670 | $126,290 | 1,050 |
| 2 | Salinas, CA | $109,620 | $99,160 | 1,510 |
| 3 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $107,220 | $96,930 | 3,280 |
| 4 | Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $107,220 | $99,380 | 1,300 |
| 5 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $107,220 | $102,510 | 710 |
| 6 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $107,220 | $95,460 | 1,220 |
| 7 | Vineland, NJ | $106,570 | $95,300 | 1,090 |
| 8 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $101,080 | $91,180 | 990 |
| 9 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $99,880 | $97,620 | 1,500 |
| 10 | North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $98,730 | $90,130 | 800 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing correctional officers and jailerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $74,630 | $73,460 | 14,180 |
| 2 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $74,630 | $73,460 | 14,180 |
| 3 | Investigation and Security Services | $65,030 | $67,610 | — |
| 4 | Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services | $65,030 | $67,610 | — |
| 5 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, State Government Owned | $61,440 | $62,680 | 440 |
| 6 | Hospitals | $61,360 | $62,980 | 500 |
| 7 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $61,360 | $63,560 | 490 |
| 8 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $59,990 | $66,180 | 191,530 |
| 9 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $59,990 | $66,170 | 191,980 |
| 10 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $59,600 | $62,050 | — |
| 11 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $59,490 | $64,220 | 363,330 |
| 12 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $59,470 | $64,220 | 362,970 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do correctional officers and jailers make in the U.S.?
The median correctional officers and jailers salary in the United States is $58,940 per year (mean $63,630), and about 80% earn between $42,760 and $93,220.
How much do correctional officers and jailers make per hour?
Roughly $31 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $63,630 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays correctional officers and jailers the most?
California has the highest average pay for correctional officers and jailers at $92,410 per year (median $96,370).
What is the job outlook for correctional officers and jailers?
Employment is projected to change -7.8% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 30,100 openings per year.