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How much does a correctional officer make?

Typical yearly pay for correctional officers and jailers in the United States.

$58,940

median pay per year, about $4,912 a month or $28.34 an hour.

That's more than 40% of the 100 jobs in our salary guide, ranking #60 of 100.

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Where it ranks

Water treatment operator$60,020
Heavy equipment operator$59,850
Firefighter$59,280
Correctional officer$58,940
Embalmer$58,780
Title examiner$58,650
Long-haul truck driver$58,640

Similar jobs

How much does a correctional officer make per hour?

About $28.34 an hour, if you spread the median yearly pay over a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year. Actual hourly pay varies with overtime, shift work and location.

Becoming a correctional officer

The U.S. Department of Labor's career profile covers the training, licenses and day-to-day tasks for this job.

How to become a correctional officer

About this number

This is the national median wage for the occupation “Correctional Officers and Jailers” (code 33-3012.00) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release, as published on O*NET OnLine. The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more, half earn less.