Protective service
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.
Median pay
$58,940
Growth to 2035
−7%
declining
Openings a year
28,400
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Correctional officers and jailers
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Correctional officers and jailers: 43% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
- Record information, such as prisoner identification, charges, and incidents of inmate disturbance, keeping daily logs of prisoner activities.
- Inspect mail for the presence of contraband.
- Maintain records of prisoners' identification and charges.
Also called: Booking Officer · Community Services Officer (CSO) · Correctional Officer · Corrections Officer (CO) · Deputy Jailer · Detention Deputy · Detention Officer · Jail Officer
Outlook and AI
Correctional officers and jailers held 397,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 368,200 by 2035 (−7%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
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- Correctional officers and jailers vs. Bailiff
- Correctional officers and jailers vs. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
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- Correctional officers and jailers vs. Security guard
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