Interviews people after arrest, reports to judges on release decisions, and supervises defendants released before trial. BLS does not publish separate figures for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists; it counts them within probation officer and correctional treatment specialist (SOC 21-1092), whose median pay is $66,270 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 21-1092
- Community and Social Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Pretrial Services Officer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $66,270a year, or $31.86/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $47KTop 10% $108K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.0%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 7,90093,700 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202593.7K
- Projected 203596.5K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 93.7K Projected 2035 96.5K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school0.9%
- Certificate1.7%
- Some college1.7%
- Associate's5.3%
- Bachelor's88%
- Master's2.4%
Highest education held by probation officers and correctional treatment specialists Segment Value High school 0.9% Certificate 1.7% Some college 1.7% Associate's 5.3% Bachelor's 88% Master's 2.4%
Also advertised as: Pretrial Officer, U.S. Pretrial Services Officer, Pretrial Release Officer, Pretrial Case Manager, Pretrial Services Specialist.
Pay
How much do Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists make?
Every pretrial services officer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$66,270
Middle half earn $54,250 to $84,780
- 10th
- $46,840
- 25th
- $54,250
- 75th
- $84,780
- 90th
- $107,790
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $46,840 |
| 25th | $54,250 |
| Median | $66,270 |
| 75th | $84,780 |
| 90th | $107,790 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $66,270
- Median hourly wage
- $31.86/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $73,130
- People employed
- 89,390
Versus all US occupations
At $66,270, Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists earn 30% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,290 a year.
Versus community and social service occupations
Inside the Community and Social Service group, where the middle occupation pays $60,300, this is 10% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $107,790 or more while the bottom 10% earn $46,840, a gap of 2.3×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 41% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($103,640), but once local prices are taken into account Connecticut leads at $93,958 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists 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 | $103,640 | $93,605 | 13,900 |
| 2Connecticut | $97,350 | $93,958 | 1,200 |
| 3Massachusetts | $94,590 | $89,441 | 1,200 |
| 4Oregon | $84,920 | $82,159 | 1,260 |
| 5Vermont | $83,820 | $85,567 | 190 |
| 6Washington | $82,750 | $77,327 | 2,150 |
| 7Delaware | $81,880 | $82,038 | 380 |
| 8Minnesota | $81,580 | $82,721 | 2,040 |
| 9New York | $80,350 | $74,453 | 4,360 |
| 10New Jersey | $80,280 | $73,783 | 2,890 |
Job outlook
Is Pretrial Services Officer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | +3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists to change 3.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 2,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,900 openings are projected each year, 8.4% of the 93,700 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Pretrial Services Officer
A bachelor's degree in criminal justice, social work, psychology or a related field is the usual requirement. Federal pretrial services officer positions also require a background investigation, medical review and age limits for first appointment, and are hired by individual federal district courts.
State and county pretrial agencies set their own requirements and provide training on risk tools and supervision. The National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies publishes professional standards and offers training and certification. Many officers start in probation, case management or court support roles.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium 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 probation officers and correctional treatment specialists.
- Bachelor's Degree88%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree5.3%
- Master's Degree2.4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate1.7%
- Some College Courses1.7%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 88% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 5.3% |
| Master's Degree | 2.4% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 1.7% |
| Some College Courses | 1.7% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Pretrial Services Officer do?
Pretrial services officers work in the window between arrest and the end of a case. Shortly after arrest, they interview defendants, verify information such as residence, employment and criminal history, and use validated risk assessment tools to help judges decide whether someone can be safely released and on what conditions.
When a defendant is released, officers supervise them: checking in by phone and in person, monitoring electronic location devices, running drug tests, and reminding people of court dates. They refer defendants to treatment and services and report violations to the court. In federal courts, U.S. pretrial services officers do this work for the federal judiciary.
Day-to-day tasks
- Interview defendants shortly after arrest
- Verify residence, employment and criminal history
- Complete risk assessments and release recommendations
- Supervise released defendants and enforce conditions
- Monitor electronic location devices and drug tests
- Remind defendants of court dates
- Report compliance and violations to judges
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Officers work in courthouses, jails and field offices, with some home and community visits. Schedules are mostly weekday, though jail interviews may require early mornings or weekends. The job is fast paced, with heavy caseloads and frequent court appearances.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors 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 importantDealing with customers or the public is very 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
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Writing3.8
- Monitoring3.8
- Active Learning3.4
- Learning Strategies2.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Time Management3.4
- Coordination3.1
- Persuasion3.1
- Negotiation3.1
- Instructing3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 |
| Time Management | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
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
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Internet browser software
- Map creation software
- Project management software
- Voice recognition software
“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 Pretrial Services Officer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code SCE) built on O*NET's Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Pretrial Services Officer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Social5.7
- Conventional4.5
- Enterprising4.2
- Investigative3.4
- Realistic2.4
- Artistic2.1
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 Pretrial Services Officer
O*NET related occupations
- Community and Social Service
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist
$66,270median a year
Most earn $47K to $108K
+3.0%Bachelor's - Protective Service
- Community and Social Service
- Protective Service
First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers
$77,970median a year
Most earn $52K to $128K
−2.5%High school - Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker
$60,280median a year
Most earn $40K to $104K
+10.3%Master's
More community and social service careers
Median annual pay, with probation officers and correctional treatment specialists highlighted
- Healthcare Social Worker$67,880
- Marriage and Family Therapist$66,940
- Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$66,270
- Pretrial Services Officer$66,270
- Health Education Specialist$64,070
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$60,280
- Community Health Worker$51,850
- Rehabilitation Counselor$46,850
- Social and Human Service Assistant$45,930
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Worker | $67,880 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $66,940 |
| Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist | $66,270 |
| Pretrial Services Officer | $66,270 |
| Health Education Specialist | $64,070 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $60,280 |
| Community Health Worker | $51,850 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $46,850 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $45,930 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Pretrial Services Officer appears on
Questions
Pretrial Services Officer: frequently asked questions
How much do Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists. It counts them within probation officer and correctional treatment specialist, whose median pay is $66,270 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $54,250 and $84,780, and the top 10% earn $107,790 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Pretrial Services Officer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 88.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Pretrial Services Officer a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.0% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 7,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Pretrial Services Officer do?
Pretrial services officers work in the window between arrest and the end of a case. A typical task: interview defendants shortly after arrest. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists are California ($103,640), Connecticut ($97,350), Massachusetts ($94,590) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Connecticut moves to the top at $93,958.
What personality type suits a Pretrial Services Officer?
O*NET scores Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists highest on the Social, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.