Salaries › Correctional Officer
Correctional Officer Salary by State (2026)
Correctional Officers (Correctional Officers and Jailers) hold 378,660 jobs across the US. Typical pay is $62,749 per year, but the median ranges from $38,720 in Mississippi to $96,370 in California. Pick your state for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median Correctional Officer salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| California | $96,370 | 37,860 |
| New Jersey | $94,770 | 7,570 |
| Massachusetts | $86,310 | 6,360 |
| Oregon | $83,690 | 3,650 |
| Washington | $79,460 | 6,800 |
| Illinois | $79,190 | 12,190 |
| New York | $76,820 | 27,770 |
| Nevada | $76,490 | 3,240 |
| Wisconsin | $73,470 | 7,360 |
| Alaska | $71,360 | 850 |
| Hawaii | $69,570 | 1,310 |
| Utah | $67,290 | 2,050 |
| Minnesota | $66,040 | 5,350 |
| Delaware | $65,880 | 1,730 |
| Connecticut | $64,750 | 3,780 |
| Maryland | $64,250 | 6,060 |
| Michigan | $64,020 | 8,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,460 | 15,560 |
| Nebraska | $63,380 | 3,250 |
| Colorado | $62,140 | 7,290 |
| New Hampshire | $61,360 | 680 |
| Ohio | $59,370 | 12,610 |
| Kansas | $56,120 | 3,380 |
| Arizona | $54,970 | 14,230 |
| Wyoming | $54,780 | 920 |
| Vermont | $53,810 | 450 |
| Idaho | $53,580 | 2,370 |
| Iowa | $53,040 | 3,440 |
| South Dakota | $53,040 | 1,490 |
| West Virginia | $52,890 | 2,980 |
| Maine | $52,730 | 1,090 |
| Texas | $52,670 | 44,700 |
| North Dakota | $52,460 | 1,290 |
| Tennessee | $50,940 | 6,990 |
| North Carolina | $50,550 | 11,900 |
| Virginia | $50,140 | 11,270 |
| Florida | $49,710 | 24,280 |
| Montana | $49,180 | 1,430 |
| Indiana | $48,340 | 8,060 |
| New Mexico | $47,940 | 2,740 |
| South Carolina | $47,890 | 4,870 |
| Georgia | $47,520 | 10,640 |
| Alabama | $46,660 | 4,970 |
| Oklahoma | $45,690 | 3,730 |
| Missouri | $42,620 | 6,670 |
| Kentucky | $42,310 | 6,770 |
| Arkansas | $40,330 | 4,460 |
| Louisiana | $39,850 | 7,960 |
| Mississippi | $38,720 | 4,040 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average Correctional Officer salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) Correctional Officer salary in the US is about $62,749 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 378,660 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays Correctional Officers the most?
- California has the highest median Correctional Officer salary at $96,370 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays Correctional Officers the least?
- Mississippi has the lowest median at $38,720 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Correctional Officers and Jailers, code 33-3012). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.