Correctional Officers and Jailers in Pennsylvania

Want to work in Pennsylvania as a Correctional Officer or Jailer? Read this first!

While jobs for Correctional Officers and Jailers in Pennsylvania are decreasing, those who do work in these jobs get paid higher than average.

• Employment for Correctional Officers and Jailers in Pennsylvania is expected to decrease.

• Correctional Officers and Jailers in Pennsylvania earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Correctional Officer or Jailer Career?

• Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting
• Criminal Justice & Corrections
• Corrections
• Juvenile Corrections
• Other Corrections & Criminal Justice

How Many Correctional Officers and Jailers Work in Pennsylvania?

In Pennsylvania, there were 16,850 people working as Correctional Officers and Jailers in the year 2018.

There were 17,380 Correctional Officers and Jailers employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 530 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 5,215 Correctional Officers and Jailers working in it, which means Pennsylvania has more Correctional Officers and Jailers than average.

Job Projections for Pennsylvania

Jobs for Correctional Officers and Jailers in this state are declining at a rate of 8.2% which is a faster decline than the nationwide estimated projection of -7.7%.

Pennsylvania Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 1,210 annual Correctional Officers and Jailers job openings in Pennsylvania, and 16,210 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 31,300 annual jobs and 415,500 total jobs in 2026.

What do Correctional Officers and Jailers Make in Pennsylvania?

In 2018 wages for Correctional Officers and Jailers ranged from $38,480 to $74,120 with $51,010 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $18.5 to $35.63. The median hourly rate was $24.52.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $23.55 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.97.

The median salary in Pennsylvania is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top Pennsylvania Metros for Correctional Officers and Jailers

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Correctional Officers and Jailers.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	21,390	$69,500
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	6,660	$47,160
Pittsburgh, PA	1,130	$59,690
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA	1,080	$48,460
State College, PA	860	$47,840
Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA	850	$61,670
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	810	$57,590
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	510	$51,450
Erie, PA	500	$50,020
Johnstown, PA	190	$51,010

Top States for Correctional Officers and Jailers Employment

The table below shows the states where most Correctional Officers and Jailers work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
New York	35,460	$63,600
California	34,980	$77,520
Florida	33,060	$37,920
Pennsylvania	16,850	$51,010
North Carolina	15,720	$36,770
Georgia	15,500	$34,170
Virginia	14,910	$37,990
Illinois	14,050	$63,330
Arizona	13,810	$43,110
Ohio	13,310	$46,770
New Jersey	11,240	$71,700
Tennessee	9,670	$34,890
Michigan	9,100	$56,330
Missouri	8,420	$30,050
Indiana	7,990	$33,890
Louisiana	7,890	$30,760
Washington	7,190	$55,290
Colorado	6,990	$46,060
Wisconsin	6,870	$42,680
Maryland	6,780	$47,150

Below are the states where Correctional Officers and Jailers get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
California	$77,520
New Jersey	$71,700
Rhode Island	$69,710
Massachusetts	$69,560
New York	$63,600
Illinois	$63,330
Alaska	$62,330
Oregon	$61,090
Hawaii	$58,650
Nevada	$57,450

Related Careers in Pennsylvania

Discover similar careers:

Occupation	Pennsylvania Employment Total
Bailiffs	720

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.