First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers earn a median of $77,970 per year ($37.49/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 2.5% through 2035, with about 3,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 33-1011
- Protective Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers in four numbers
- Median pay
- $77,970a year, or $37.49/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $52KTop 10% $128K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -2.5%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−2.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −2.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,70056,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202556.3K
- Projected 203554.8K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 56.3K Projected 2035 54.8K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school59%
- Certificate5.2%
- Some college2.3%
- Associate's22.9%
- Bachelor's10.7%
Highest education held by first-line supervisors of correctional officers Segment Value High school 59% Certificate 5.2% Some college 2.3% Associate's 22.9% Bachelor's 10.7%
Also advertised as: Correctional Officer Captain, Correctional Supervisor.
Pay
How much do First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers make?
Every first-line supervisor of correctional officers in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$77,970
Middle half earn $59,890 to $103,320
- 10th
- $52,330
- 25th
- $59,890
- 75th
- $103,320
- 90th
- $127,780
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $52,330 |
| 25th | $59,890 |
| Median | $77,970 |
| 75th | $103,320 |
| 90th | $127,780 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $77,970
- Median hourly wage
- $37.49/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $84,380
- People employed
- 53,380
Versus all US occupations
At $77,970, First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers earn 53% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $26,990 a year.
Versus protective service occupations
Inside the Protective Service group, where the middle occupation pays $74,060, this is 5% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $127,780 or more while the bottom 10% earn $52,330, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 55% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $131,210, and still leads at $118,506 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $131,210 | $118,506 | 4,550 |
| 2New Jersey | $117,450 | $107,945 | 1,340 |
| 3Utah | $110,410 | $111,679 | 340 |
| 4Nevada | $107,260 | $107,283 | 190 |
| 5Massachusetts | $105,930 | $100,164 | 460 |
| 6Illinois | $105,450 | $105,494 | 2,860 |
| 7New York | $103,320 | $95,737 | 3,380 |
| 8Oregon | $99,890 | $96,642 | 610 |
| 9Washington | $98,910 | $92,428 | 1,400 |
| 10Alaska | $98,420 | $96,152 | 300 |
Job outlook
Is First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -2.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | −2.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers to change -2.5% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 1,400 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,700 openings are projected each year, 6.6% of the 56,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as first-line supervisors of correctional officers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)59%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree22.9%
- Bachelor's Degree10.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate5.2%
- Some College Courses2.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 59% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 22.9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 10.7% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 5.2% |
| Some College Courses | 2.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers do?
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of correctional officers and jailers.
Day-to-day tasks
- Maintain knowledge of, comply with, and enforce all institutional policies, rules, procedures, and regulations.
- Complete administrative paperwork or supervise the preparation or maintenance of records, forms, or reports.
- Instruct employees or provide on-the-job training.
- Supervise activities, such as searches, shakedowns, riot control, or institutional tours.
- Resolve problems between inmates.
- Supervise and direct the work of correctional officers to ensure the safe custody, discipline, and welfare of inmates.
- Monitor behavior of subordinates to ensure alert, courteous, and professional behavior toward inmates, parolees, fellow employees, visitors, and the public.
- Convey correctional officers' or inmates' complaints to superiors.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Speaking3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Writing3.5
- Active Learning3.3
- Learning Strategies3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.5 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Coordination4.0
- Management of Personnel Resources3.8
- Persuasion3.5
- Negotiation3.5
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Time Management3.3
- Instructing3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 4.0 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.5 |
| Negotiation | 3.5 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.3 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 5 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising6.3
- Conventional5.1
- Social4.5
- Realistic3.6
- Investigative1.8
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers
O*NET related occupations
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Most earn $47K to $108K
+3.0%Bachelor's - Protective Service
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More protective service careers
Median annual pay, with first-line supervisors of correctional officers highlighted
- Detective and Criminal Investigator$93,790
- Intelligence Analyst$93,790
- First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers$77,970
- Police Officer$76,210
- Custom and Border Protection Officer$76,210
- Firefighter$59,280
- Correctional Officer and Jailer$58,940
- Private Detective and Investigator$51,220
- Security Guard$38,020
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $93,790 |
| Intelligence Analyst | $93,790 |
| First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers | $77,970 |
| Police Officer | $76,210 |
| Custom and Border Protection Officer | $76,210 |
| Firefighter | $59,280 |
| Correctional Officer and Jailer | $58,940 |
| Private Detective and Investigator | $51,220 |
| Security Guard | $38,020 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers appears on
Questions
First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers: frequently asked questions
How much do First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers make?
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers earn a median of $77,970 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 53% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $37.49/hr. The middle half earn between $59,890 and $103,320. The top 10% earn $127,780 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 59.0% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 2.5% over 2025–2035, a loss of 1,400 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers do?
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of correctional officers and jailers. A core O*NET task: maintain knowledge of, comply with, and enforce all institutional policies, rules, procedures, and regulations. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers the most?
The highest state medians for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers are California ($131,210), New Jersey ($117,450), Utah ($110,410) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers?
O*NET scores First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.