Law, Government & Public Service

Correctional Officer

Supervise people held in jails and prisons, keeping order and watching for danger inside the facility

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What does a Correctional Officer do?

Correctional officers work inside county jails, state prisons, and federal facilities, often on rotating shifts covering nights and holidays. They count inmates, search cells, and settle conflicts. BLS projects employment to decline 7.8% from 2024 to 2034. Staying calm and firm is the core skill.

A day in the life

6:00 AMTake the shift briefing and count every inmate in your housing unit
7:30 AMWalk the cell block and check doors, locks, and safety
9:30 AMEscort inmates to the dining hall and to medical appointments
12:00 PMSearch a cell for weapons or banned items
2:00 PMSettle an argument between two inmates before it turns physical
5:30 PMWrite an incident report and brief the next shift

What's great

  • Can start with a high school diploma
  • Government pay with benefits
  • Some states offer early retirement
  • Chance to help people change course

The hard parts

  • Risk of assault and threats
  • Mandatory overtime and night shifts
  • Stressful, tense work setting
  • Fewer jobs expected in the coming years

What is a Correctional Officer's salary and outlook?

$35k – $87k
Salary Range
Associate's degree
Typical Education
Declining

Typical pay in this guide runs from about $34,800 to $87,000 a year, with a midpoint around $58,000. These are planning figures for students, not a job offer or an official wage.

CareerLens rates the outlook as Declining.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for Correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012) to decline 7.8% from 2024 to 2034. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections.

How do you become a Correctional Officer?

A common path is High school diploma plus a state corrections academy; some jobs prefer an associate degree. The ladder often runs from Correctional Officer to Correctional Sergeant, then Correctional Lieutenant or Captain, and Warden. Other routes: Military service, then apply to a facility; Start as a jail deputy in a sheriff's office; Associate degree in criminal justice; Move on to probation or parole officer with a bachelor's degree.

  • Military service, then apply to a facility
  • Start as a jail deputy in a sheriff's office
  • Associate degree in criminal justice
  • Move on to probation or parole officer with a bachelor's degree

Career path

Entry level
Correctional Officer
Mid career
Correctional Sergeant
Senior
Correctional Lieutenant or Captain
Executive
Warden

Will AI replace a Correctional Officer?

How much will AI change this job?

Quite a bit

AI will help with some tasks in this job, while the most important parts stay human.

AI helps with paperwork, but people still keep facilities safe.

Correctional officers will use AI tools to help with reports, scheduling, and tracking records. But watching over people, handling conflicts, and making safety decisions will always need a real person. This job stays about people skills, judgment, and staying calm under pressure.

AI can help with

  • Writing and organizing daily incident reports
  • Tracking schedules and inmate records
  • Sorting paperwork and flagging important information

What stays human

  • Watching for safety risks and stopping fights
  • Talking with inmates and calming tense situations
  • Making quick judgment calls during emergencies

Skills to build now

  • Practice staying calm in stressful or tense moments
  • Join sports or teams to build teamwork skills
  • Read about conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques

Based on public research from Anthropic and OpenAI, drafted with AI, checked automatically, and read by a person. How we know

This describes how the work may change. It is not a prediction that the job will disappear.