Correctional Officer Salary by State
How much correctional officers and jailers earn in each state. SOC code 33-3012 (Correctional Officers and Jailers). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$58,940Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$63,630Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$28.34Mean $30.59/hour
- U.S. employment380,500Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateCalifornia$92,410 mean
- States with data49 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do correctional officers and jailers make?
Nationally, correctional officers and jailers earn a median of $58,940 a year and a mean of $63,630 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $48,640 (25th percentile) and $75,850 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $42,760 and the top 10% more than $93,220.
That median is 1.2× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $92,410 in California (highest) to $40,550 in Mississippi (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, New Jersey comes out on top at $87,105 in national-average dollars.
BLS did not publish wage estimates for this occupation in: District of Columbia, Rhode Island.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $42,760 | $3,563 | $20.56 |
| 25th | $48,640 | $4,053 | $23.38 |
| Median | $58,940 | $4,912 | $28.34 |
| 75th | $75,850 | $6,321 | $36.47 |
| 90th | $93,220 | $7,768 | $44.82 |
| Mean | $63,630 | $5,302 | $30.59 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Correctional Officer salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $92,410 | $96,370 | $46.33 | $63,380 | $114,730 | $87,055 | 37,860 |
| New Jersey | $87,780 | $94,770 | $45.56 | $51,410 | $106,570 | $87,105 | 7,570 |
| Massachusetts | $82,890 | $86,310 | $41.49 | $63,520 | $101,620 | $81,578 | 6,360 |
| Nevada | $82,150 | $76,490 | $36.77 | $62,150 | $102,610 | $76,490 | 3,240 |
| Oregon | $80,890 | $83,690 | $40.24 | $64,200 | $95,820 | $80,938 | 3,650 |
| Washington | $78,150 | $79,460 | $38.20 | $64,460 | $95,430 | $74,262 | 6,800 |
| Illinois | $78,080 | $79,190 | $38.07 | $50,520 | $102,770 | $79,190 | 12,190 |
| New York | $77,240 | $76,820 | $36.93 | $58,940 | $93,220 | $71,196 | 27,770 |
| Alaska | $74,430 | $71,360 | $34.31 | $60,340 | $94,930 | $69,688 | 850 |
| Wisconsin | $73,690 | $73,470 | $35.32 | $56,540 | $92,140 | $78,077 | 7,360 |
| Hawaii | $72,280 | $69,570 | $33.45 | $64,250 | $82,240 | $63,245 | 1,310 |
| Utah | $67,930 | $67,290 | $32.35 | $47,700 | $84,680 | $68,038 | 2,050 |
| Minnesota | $67,870 | $66,040 | $31.75 | $54,060 | $82,380 | $66,978 | 5,350 |
| Colorado | $66,360 | $62,140 | $29.87 | $52,370 | $87,690 | $60,272 | 7,290 |
| Maryland | $66,140 | $64,250 | $30.89 | $53,100 | $82,280 | $61,190 | 6,060 |
| New Hampshire | $65,030 | $61,360 | $29.50 | $47,480 | $82,240 | $58,887 | 680 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,650 | $63,460 | $30.51 | $46,840 | $85,630 | $65,020 | 15,560 |
| Connecticut | $64,570 | $64,750 | $31.13 | $55,520 | $70,710 | $62,500 | 3,780 |
| Nebraska | $64,120 | $63,380 | $30.47 | $47,630 | $78,270 | $70,344 | 3,250 |
| Delaware | $63,580 | $65,880 | $31.67 | $46,520 | $79,260 | $66,012 | 1,730 |
| Michigan | $63,120 | $64,020 | $30.78 | $47,360 | $77,990 | $66,549 | 8,220 |
| Ohio | $58,660 | $59,370 | $28.55 | $46,930 | $68,060 | $63,976 | 12,610 |
| Florida | $57,900 | $49,710 | $23.90 | $45,760 | $80,500 | $48,075 | 24,280 |
| Idaho | $57,350 | $53,580 | $25.76 | $45,430 | $74,720 | $56,105 | 2,370 |
| Wyoming | $57,310 | $54,780 | $26.34 | $50,340 | $71,010 | $59,094 | 920 |
| Iowa | $57,140 | $53,040 | $25.50 | $47,670 | $73,530 | $60,410 | 3,440 |
| Vermont | $56,890 | $53,810 | $25.87 | $46,010 | $71,660 | $54,908 | 450 |
| West Virginia | $56,670 | $52,890 | $25.43 | $45,390 | $75,610 | $59,095 | 2,980 |
| Arizona | $56,080 | $54,970 | $26.43 | $45,620 | $65,030 | $54,588 | 14,230 |
| North Dakota | $55,090 | $52,460 | $25.22 | $47,580 | $62,870 | $58,944 | 1,290 |
| Virginia | $54,450 | $50,140 | $24.11 | $46,320 | $70,570 | $49,594 | 11,270 |
| Maine | $53,790 | $52,730 | $25.35 | $44,640 | $60,510 | $54,361 | 1,090 |
| Kansas | $53,770 | $56,120 | $26.98 | $37,000 | $64,940 | $62,286 | 3,380 |
| Texas | $53,330 | $52,670 | $25.32 | $44,870 | $60,550 | $54,243 | 44,700 |
| South Dakota | $53,260 | $53,040 | $25.50 | $43,240 | $66,390 | $59,865 | 1,490 |
| Montana | $52,980 | $49,180 | $23.64 | $44,690 | $62,730 | $51,987 | 1,430 |
| South Carolina | $51,520 | $47,890 | $23.02 | $40,090 | $71,390 | $51,110 | 4,870 |
| Tennessee | $51,420 | $50,940 | $24.49 | $38,690 | $62,790 | $55,430 | 6,990 |
| North Carolina | $51,390 | $50,550 | $24.30 | $38,850 | $63,150 | $53,606 | 11,900 |
| Indiana | $51,030 | $48,340 | $23.24 | $41,670 | $61,840 | $51,811 | 8,060 |
| Alabama | $50,300 | $46,660 | $22.43 | $30,430 | $74,290 | $52,545 | 4,970 |
| New Mexico | $48,570 | $47,940 | $23.05 | $37,900 | $59,330 | $51,996 | 2,740 |
| Georgia | $47,980 | $47,520 | $22.84 | $36,820 | $58,430 | $49,346 | 10,640 |
| Missouri | $46,230 | $42,620 | $20.49 | $37,210 | $63,940 | $46,938 | 6,670 |
| Oklahoma | $45,380 | $45,690 | $21.97 | $34,530 | $58,380 | $52,039 | 3,730 |
| Kentucky | $44,870 | $42,310 | $20.34 | $29,910 | $61,820 | $46,907 | 6,770 |
| Louisiana | $42,830 | $39,850 | $19.16 | $30,770 | $55,260 | $45,181 | 7,960 |
| Arkansas | $41,920 | $40,330 | $19.39 | $31,200 | $49,360 | $46,410 | 4,460 |
| Mississippi | $40,550 | $38,720 | $18.62 | $27,540 | $55,580 | $44,506 | 4,040 |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Highest median pay
- California — $96,370
- New Jersey — $94,770
- Massachusetts — $86,310
- Oregon — $83,690
- Washington — $79,460
Lowest median pay
- Mississippi — $38,720
- Louisiana — $39,850
- Arkansas — $40,330
- Kentucky — $42,310
- Missouri — $42,620
Best pay after cost of living
- New Jersey — $87,105
- California — $87,055
- Massachusetts — $81,578
- Oregon — $80,938
- Illinois — $79,190
The most correctional officers and jailers work in Texas (44,700 jobs), California and New York.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a correctional officer make?
The national median wage for correctional officers and jailers is $58,940 a year and the mean is $63,630, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays correctional officers and jailers the most?
California has the highest mean wage for correctional officers and jailers at $92,410.
Which state pays correctional officers and jailers the least?
Mississippi has the lowest mean wage for correctional officers and jailers among states with published data, at $40,550.
Where do correctional officers and jailers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, New Jersey ranks first at $87,105 in national-average dollars, followed by California and Massachusetts.