Pay by state · 50 areas
Correctional Officer and Jailer Salary by State (2026)
Correctional Officers and Jailers earn the most in California at $96,370 a year and the least in Mississippi at $38,720 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $58,940. The table below covers 49 states and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $96,370California
- National median
- $58,940BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $38,720Mississippi
- Areas reporting
- 50of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for correctional officers and jailers
Ranked on the state median among the 49 reporting states. After cost of living, New Jersey comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1California$96,370
- 2New Jersey$94,770
- 3Massachusetts$86,310
- 4Oregon$83,690
- 5Washington$79,460
Lowest median pay
- 1Mississippi$38,720
- 2Louisiana$39,850
- 3Arkansas$40,330
- 4Kentucky$42,310
- 5Missouri$42,620
All states
Correctional Officer and Jailer salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of correctional officers and jailers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CACalifornia | $96,370 | $76,370 | $109,580 | 37,860 | $87,039 |
| 2 | NJNew Jersey | $94,770 | $72,420 | $106,570 | 7,570 | $87,101 |
| 3 | MAMassachusetts | $86,310 | $71,280 | $91,980 | 6,360 | $81,612 |
| 4 | OROregon | $83,690 | $72,230 | $87,660 | 3,650 | $80,969 |
| 5 | WAWashington | $79,460 | $70,600 | $81,550 | 6,800 | $74,253 |
| 6 | ILIllinois | $79,190 | $65,900 | $88,790 | 12,190 | $79,223 |
| 7 | NYNew York | $76,820 | $68,450 | $91,250 | 27,770 | $71,182 |
| 8 | NVNevada | $76,490 | $72,010 | $93,790 | 3,240 | $76,506 |
| 9 | WIWisconsin | $73,470 | $62,550 | $84,990 | 7,360 | $78,081 |
| 10 | AKAlaska | $71,360 | $64,440 | $79,560 | 850 | $69,715 |
| 11 | HIHawaii | $69,570 | $69,570 | $76,780 | 1,310 | $63,274 |
| 12 | UTUtah | $67,290 | $59,120 | $79,190 | 2,050 | $68,063 |
| 13 | MNMinnesota | $66,040 | $59,630 | $76,250 | 5,350 | $66,963 |
| 14 | DEDelaware | $65,880 | $56,160 | $70,500 | 1,730 | $66,007 |
| 15 | CTConnecticut | $64,750 | $59,210 | $70,710 | 3,780 | $62,494 |
| 16 | MDMaryland | $64,250 | $59,700 | $66,680 | 6,060 | $61,214 |
| 17 | MIMichigan | $64,020 | $54,630 | $68,520 | 8,220 | $66,537 |
| 18 | PAPennsylvania | $63,460 | $50,500 | $79,390 | 15,560 | $65,039 |
| 19 | NENebraska | $63,380 | $60,160 | $72,820 | 3,250 | $70,342 |
| 20 | COColorado | $62,140 | $56,350 | $75,350 | 7,290 | $60,300 |
| 21 | NHNew Hampshire | $61,360 | $56,700 | $72,380 | 680 | $58,907 |
| 22 | OHOhio | $59,370 | $49,480 | $66,850 | 12,610 | $63,994 |
| 23 | KSKansas | $56,120 | $46,210 | $59,650 | 3,380 | $62,308 |
| 24 | AZArizona | $54,970 | $49,140 | $62,340 | 14,230 | $54,600 |
| 25 | WYWyoming | $54,780 | $52,530 | $61,780 | 920 | $59,100 |
| 26 | VTVermont | $53,810 | $48,320 | $64,170 | 450 | $54,932 |
| 27 | IDIdaho | $53,580 | $49,610 | $62,100 | 2,370 | $56,108 |
| 28 | IAIowa | $53,040 | $49,920 | $63,370 | 3,440 | $60,436 |
| 29 | SDSouth Dakota | $53,040 | $48,110 | $59,140 | 1,490 | $59,874 |
| 30 | WVWest Virginia | $52,890 | $49,730 | $59,950 | 2,980 | $59,097 |
| 31 | MEMaine | $52,730 | $49,820 | $58,230 | 1,090 | $54,333 |
| 32 | TXTexas | $52,670 | $48,880 | $57,330 | 44,700 | $54,267 |
| 33 | NDNorth Dakota | $52,460 | $49,440 | $61,130 | 1,290 | $58,971 |
| 34 | TNTennessee | $50,940 | $46,750 | $57,740 | 6,990 | $55,448 |
| 35 | NCNorth Carolina | $50,550 | $44,460 | $54,680 | 11,900 | $53,591 |
| 36 | VAVirginia | $50,140 | $47,570 | $59,030 | 11,270 | $49,592 |
| 37 | FLFlorida | $49,710 | $47,130 | $65,230 | 24,280 | $48,069 |
| 38 | MTMontana | $49,180 | $46,910 | $57,220 | 1,430 | $51,963 |
| 39 | INIndiana | $48,340 | $44,840 | $56,480 | 8,060 | $51,795 |
| 40 | NMNew Mexico | $47,940 | $42,830 | $52,370 | 2,740 | $51,989 |
| 41 | SCSouth Carolina | $47,890 | $43,790 | $58,530 | 4,870 | $51,083 |
| 42 | GAGeorgia | $47,520 | $43,290 | $53,390 | 10,640 | $49,349 |
| 43 | ALAlabama | $46,660 | $35,900 | $64,140 | 4,970 | $52,531 |
| 44 | OKOklahoma | $45,690 | $37,780 | $49,360 | 3,730 | $52,013 |
| 45 | MOMissouri | $42,620 | $42,620 | $46,420 | 6,670 | $46,930 |
| 46 | KYKentucky | $42,310 | $36,480 | $50,310 | 6,770 | $46,928 |
| 47 | ARArkansas | $40,330 | $36,330 | $45,100 | 4,460 | $46,390 |
| 48 | LALouisiana | $39,850 | $35,960 | $46,620 | 7,960 | $45,178 |
| 49 | MSMississippi | $38,720 | $30,730 | $44,640 | 4,040 | $44,530 |
| 50 | PRPuerto Rico | $36,030 | $30,080 | $39,650 | 3,740 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For correctional officers and jailers, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $96,370, while New Jersey leads once prices are taken into account at $87,101.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Correctional Officer and Jailer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays correctional officers and jailers the most?
California reports the highest median wage for correctional officers and jailers at $96,370 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Jersey ($94,770) and Massachusetts ($86,310).
Which state pays correctional officers and jailers the least?
Among the 49 reporting states, Mississippi reports the lowest median for correctional officers and jailers at $38,720 a year, $57,650 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Puerto Rico reports $36,030.
Is the highest-paying state the best for correctional officers and jailers after cost of living?
Not on this data. California pays the most on paper ($96,370) but ranks 2nd of 49 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($87,039). New Jersey leads after that adjustment at $87,101, from a raw median of $94,770. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.