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.
- O*NET-SOC code
33-3012.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$58,940
Employment, U.S.380,500
Median hourly wage$28.34
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $42,760 | $48,640 | $58,940 | $75,850 | $93,220 |
By state (49)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 4,970 | $46,660 | 0.96 |
| Alaska | 850 | $71,360 | 1.06 |
| Arizona | 14,230 | $54,970 | 1.79 |
| Arkansas | 4,460 | $40,330 | 1.40 |
| California | 37,860 | $96,370 | 0.85 |
| Colorado | 7,290 | $62,140 | 1.04 |
| Connecticut | 3,780 | $64,750 | 0.91 |
| Delaware | 1,730 | $65,880 | 1.46 |
| Florida | 24,280 | $49,710 | 1.00 |
| Georgia | 10,640 | $47,520 | 0.89 |
| Hawaii | 1,310 | $69,570 | 0.85 |
| Idaho | 2,370 | $53,580 | 1.13 |
| Illinois | 12,190 | $79,190 | 0.82 |
| Indiana | 8,060 | $48,340 | 1.03 |
| Iowa | 3,440 | $53,040 | 0.90 |
| Kansas | 3,380 | $56,120 | 0.96 |
| Kentucky | 6,770 | $42,310 | 1.38 |
| Louisiana | 7,960 | $39,850 | 1.68 |
| Maine | 1,090 | $52,730 | 0.69 |
| Maryland | 6,060 | $64,250 | 0.90 |
| Massachusetts | 6,360 | $86,310 | 0.71 |
| Michigan | 8,220 | $64,020 | 0.76 |
| Minnesota | 5,350 | $66,040 | 0.74 |
| Mississippi | 4,040 | $38,720 | 1.42 |
| Missouri | 6,670 | $42,620 | 0.93 |
| Montana | 1,430 | $49,180 | 1.15 |
| Nebraska | 3,250 | $63,380 | 1.29 |
| Nevada | 3,240 | $76,490 | 0.85 |
| New Hampshire | 680 | $61,360 | 0.40 |
| New Jersey | 7,570 | $94,770 | 0.72 |
| New Mexico | 2,740 | $47,940 | 1.29 |
| New York | 27,770 | $76,820 | 1.17 |
| North Carolina | 11,900 | $50,550 | 0.98 |
| North Dakota | 1,290 | $52,460 | 1.23 |
| Ohio | 12,610 | $59,370 | 0.93 |
| Oklahoma | 3,730 | $45,690 | 0.89 |
| Oregon | 3,650 | $83,690 | 0.76 |
| Pennsylvania | 15,560 | $63,460 | 1.05 |
| South Carolina | 4,870 | $47,890 | 0.86 |
| South Dakota | 1,490 | $53,040 | 1.33 |
| Tennessee | 6,990 | $50,940 | 0.87 |
| Texas | 44,700 | $52,670 | 1.30 |
| Utah | 2,050 | $67,290 | 0.48 |
| Vermont | 450 | $53,810 | 0.60 |
| Virginia | 11,270 | $50,140 | 1.12 |
| Washington | 6,800 | $79,460 | 0.78 |
| West Virginia | 2,980 | $52,890 | 1.74 |
| Wisconsin | 7,360 | $73,470 | 1.02 |
| Wyoming | 920 | $54,780 | 1.34 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | 3 | 0.971 |
| 2 | Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 3 | 0.968 |
| 3 | Transit and Railroad Police | 3 | 0.967 |
| 4 | Customs and Border Protection Officers | 3 | 0.958 |
| 5 | Retail Loss Prevention Specialists | 1-2 | 0.957 |
| 6 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | 1-2 | 0.956 |
| 7 | Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 3 | 0.956 |
| 8 | Psychiatric Aides | 1-2 | 0.950 |
| 9 | Bailiffs | 3 | 0.950 |
| 10 | Animal Trainers | 1-2 | 0.949 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Correctional Officers and Jailers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Trainers | Learning Strategies | 0.88 | 0.949 |
| Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians | Operation and Control | 0.76 | 0.945 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.25 | 0.944 |
| Firefighters | Operation and Control | 0.88 | 0.928 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Correctional Officers and Jailers, excluding software Correctional Officers and Jailers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database | 6 of 20 | 25.2x |
| Law enforcement information databases | 5 of 20 | 38.5x |
| Crime mapping software | 4 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS | 4 of 20 | 30.8x |
| Computer aided dispatch software | 4 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Computer aided composite drawing software | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| DesignWare 3D EyeWitness | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| National Integrated Ballistics Information Network NIBIN | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| SmartDraw Legal | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| The CAD Zone The Crime Zone | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 4.00 | 3.75 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 3.75 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 4.00 | 3.50 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.50 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 2.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.62 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 1.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Public Safety and Security | 4.14 | 3.93 |
| English Language | 4.01 | 3.97 |
| Law and Government | 3.78 | 3.82 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.52 | 4.21 |
| Administration and Management | 3.51 | 3.91 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.43 | 4.26 |
| Psychology | 3.41 | 4.45 |
| Administrative | 3.36 | 3.94 |
| Education and Training | 3.36 | 3.78 |
| Telecommunications | 3.17 | 2.36 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.91 | 3.12 |
| Mathematics | 2.87 | 2.53 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.83 | 3.16 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 2.68 | 2.82 |
| Communications and Media | 2.59 | 2.62 |
| Foreign Language | 2.49 | 1.85 |
| Transportation | 2.42 | 2.00 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 2.35 | 2.15 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 2.31 | 2.50 |
| Production and Processing | 2.08 | 1.89 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.98 | 1.56 |
| Food Production | 1.97 | 1.76 |
| Mechanical | 1.95 | 1.50 |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.86 | 1.52 |
| Building and Construction | 1.73 | 1.15 |
| Geography | 1.64 | 1.13 |
| History and Archeology | 1.62 | 0.76 |
| Chemistry | 1.57 | 1.02 |
| Biology | 1.50 | 0.80 |
| Physics | 1.50 | 0.71 |
| Design | 1.46 | not rated |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.44 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.15 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Near Vision | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Selective Attention | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Information Ordering | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Stamina | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Static Strength | 3.00 | 3.75 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Dynamic Strength | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Explosive Strength | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Reaction Time | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Written Expression | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Response Orientation | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Visualization | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Control Precision | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Depth Perception | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Memorization | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Originality | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.12 | 2.62 |
| Number Facility | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Rate Control | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Sound Localization | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Night Vision | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.00 | 1.38 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.25 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Adobe Acrobat hot
- Facebook hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- 3M Electronic Monitoring
- Corrections housing software
- Guardian RFID
- Jail management software
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | 980 | 9.71 | $67,770 |
| Yuma, AZ | 1,360 | 8.05 | $50,940 |
| Vineland, NJ | 1,090 | 7.15 | $106,570 |
| Elmira, NY | 550 | 6.72 | $76,820 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 520 | 6.28 | $54,970 |
| Terre Haute, IN | 960 | 6.00 | $53,670 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 660 | 4.65 | $51,310 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 900 | 4.57 | $42,620 |
| State College, PA | 770 | 4.55 | $66,730 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 1,300 | 4.49 | $72,890 |