BLS correctional officer and jailer pay in every state, state vs county vs federal pay, 7(k) work periods and take-home after 2026 tax
Correctional officers and jailers earned a median salary of $58,940 in May 2025 — $28.34 an hour — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' count of 380,500. The bottom tenth earned under $42,760 and the top tenth over $93,220. Required overtime, common in facilities that run around the clock, is not in these figures.
This is the BLS line for correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012), at state, local and federal facilities and private contractors. Bailiffs and first-line supervisors are separate lines. Overtime, which the OOH says officers may be required to work, is excluded (BLS OEWS FAQ). Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.56 | $42,760 | $3,563 | $36,538 |
| 25th percentile | $23.38 | $48,640 | $4,053 | $41,262 |
| Median | $28.34 | $58,940 | $4,912 | $49,538 |
| 75th percentile | $36.47 | $75,850 | $6,321 | $62,190 |
| 90th percentile | $44.82 | $93,220 | $7,768 | $74,410 |
State matters enormously. California pays $96,370 at the median, followed by New Jersey ($94,770) and Massachusetts ($86,310), while Mississippi ($38,720) and Louisiana ($39,850) pay less than half as much. Texas employs the most officers, 44,700, at $52,670; New York pays $76,820 and Florida $49,710.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $46.33 | $96,370 | 37,860 |
| New Jersey | $45.56 | $94,770 | 7,570 |
| Massachusetts | $41.49 | $86,310 | 6,360 |
| Oregon | $40.24 | $83,690 | 3,650 |
| Washington | $38.20 | $79,460 | 6,800 |
| Illinois | $38.07 | $79,190 | 12,190 |
| New York | $36.93 | $76,820 | 27,770 |
| Nevada | $36.77 | $76,490 | 3,240 |
| Wisconsin | $35.32 | $73,470 | 7,360 |
| Alaska | $34.31 | $71,360 | 850 |
| Hawaii | $33.45 | $69,570 | 1,310 |
| Utah | $32.35 | $67,290 | 2,050 |
| Minnesota | $31.75 | $66,040 | 5,350 |
| Delaware | $31.67 | $65,880 | 1,730 |
| Connecticut | $31.13 | $64,750 | 3,780 |
| Maryland | $30.89 | $64,250 | 6,060 |
| Michigan | $30.78 | $64,020 | 8,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $30.51 | $63,460 | 15,560 |
| Nebraska | $30.47 | $63,380 | 3,250 |
| Colorado | $29.87 | $62,140 | 7,290 |
| New Hampshire | $29.50 | $61,360 | 680 |
| Ohio | $28.55 | $59,370 | 12,610 |
| Kansas | $26.98 | $56,120 | 3,380 |
| Arizona | $26.43 | $54,970 | 14,230 |
| Wyoming | $26.34 | $54,780 | 920 |
| Vermont | $25.87 | $53,810 | 450 |
| Idaho | $25.76 | $53,580 | 2,370 |
| Iowa | $25.50 | $53,040 | 3,440 |
| South Dakota | $25.50 | $53,040 | 1,490 |
| West Virginia | $25.43 | $52,890 | 2,980 |
| Maine | $25.35 | $52,730 | 1,090 |
| Texas | $25.32 | $52,670 | 44,700 |
| North Dakota | $25.22 | $52,460 | 1,290 |
| Tennessee | $24.49 | $50,940 | 6,990 |
| North Carolina | $24.30 | $50,550 | 11,900 |
| Virginia | $24.11 | $50,140 | 11,270 |
| Florida | $23.90 | $49,710 | 24,280 |
| Montana | $23.64 | $49,180 | 1,430 |
| Indiana | $23.24 | $48,340 | 8,060 |
| New Mexico | $23.05 | $47,940 | 2,740 |
| South Carolina | $23.02 | $47,890 | 4,870 |
| Georgia | $22.84 | $47,520 | 10,640 |
| Alabama | $22.43 | $46,660 | 4,970 |
| Oklahoma | $21.97 | $45,690 | 3,730 |
| Missouri | $20.49 | $42,620 | 6,670 |
| Kentucky | $20.34 | $42,310 | 6,770 |
| Arkansas | $19.39 | $40,330 | 4,460 |
| Louisiana | $19.16 | $39,850 | 7,960 |
| Mississippi | $18.62 | $38,720 | 4,040 |
The federal government pays correctional officers the most, $74,630, though it employs 4% of them. State governments ($59,990), which employ 52%, and local governments ($58,500), 40%, are close together; facilities support services, the private contractors, pay $46,910 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Federal government | $74,630 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | $59,990 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | $58,500 |
| Facilities support services | $46,910 |
Jail and prison security runs 24 hours a day, so correctional officers work shifts covering every hour, weekends and holidays, and may be required to work overtime. State governments employ 52% of correctional officers and jailers, local governments 40% and the federal government 4%. Confrontations with people in custody give the job one of the highest injury rates of any occupation (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
State and local agencies can pay correctional officers on the 7(k) work-period rule for law enforcement: the law expressly includes security personnel in correctional institutions who control and maintain custody of inmates (29 CFR 553.211(f)). Under 7(k), overtime is due after 171 hours in a 28-day work period, or the same proportion of a shorter period of 7 to 27 days, instead of after 40 in a week (DOL Fact Sheet #8). Agencies with fewer than five law enforcement employees can be exempt from overtime altogether.
Under the 7(k) rule the overtime line depends on the length of the agency's work period, from 7 to 28 days. The table gives that line for common periods (171 hours in 28 days, in proportion for shorter ones), what that line averages per week, and the straight-time pay for it at the BLS median. Hours past the line earn time and a half.
| Work period | Overtime after | Average hours a week at the line | Straight-time pay to that line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days | 43 hours | 43.0 | $1,219 |
| 14 days | 86 hours | 43.0 | $2,437 |
| 21 days | 128 hours | 42.7 | $3,628 |
| 28 days | 171 hours | 42.8 | $4,846 |
Correctional officers typically need a high school diploma and complete a training academy covering self-defense, policies, regulations and security, then may shadow experienced officers. Many agencies set a minimum age between 18 and 21. The Federal Bureau of Prisons requires a bachelor's degree or several years of experience in counseling, assistance or supervision for entry-level officers. Officers can advance to sergeant, lieutenant or captain, or move to specialized units (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your correctional officer pay:
$58,940 a year ($28.34 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $48,640 to $75,850.
California ($46.33 an hour, $96,370 a year), then New Jersey and Massachusetts; Mississippi pays least among the 49 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
On the Occupational Outlook Handbook's industry table, yes: the federal government has the highest correctional officer median, ahead of state and local governments, which employ most officers. Federal prisons also set a higher entry bar, a bachelor's degree or relevant experience.
Officers at state and local facilities can be on a 7(k) work period, with overtime after 171 hours in 28 days or the same ratio for a shorter period (DOL Fact Sheet #8; 29 CFR 553.211(f)). Otherwise the normal rule is time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.