Law Enforcement Workers

How to become a Correctional Officer or Jailer

Official title: Correctional Officers and Jailers

Also called: Booking Officer, Community Services Officer (CSO), Correctional Officer, Corrections Officer (CO), Deputy Jailer, Detention Deputy, Detention Officer, Jail Officer, Jailer, Jailor

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

Correctional officers and bailiffs typically need a high school diploma to enter their occupation. They typically go to a training academy and then are assigned to a facility, where they receive on-the-job training. Although qualifications vary by state and agency, many agencies have an age requirement for correctional officers. Some federal agencies also require officers to have a bachelor's degree or related work experience.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Correction Officer.
Licence: A licence is required in 7 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $58,940 a year The middle half earn $48,640 to $75,850.
About 397,800 people work in this job now, and about 368,200 are projected by 2035. (-7.4%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Correctional Officer or Jailer?

How much does a Correctional Officer or Jailer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $58,940 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $48,640 to $75,850.

Is a Correctional Officer or Jailer a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 7% by 2035, from about 397,800 to about 368,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Correctional Officer or Jailer?

Usually not. Only 19% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Correction Officer.

Will AI change the work of a Correctional Officer or Jailer?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.