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First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers: Career Overview

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of correctional officers and jailers.

The Daily Work of First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers Perform?

The day-to-day responsibilities of first-line supervisors of correctional officers span:

  • Take, receive, or check periodic inmate counts.
  • Maintain order, discipline, and security within assigned areas in accordance with relevant rules, regulations, policies, and laws.
  • Maintain knowledge of, comply with, and enforce all institutional policies, rules, procedures, and regulations.
  • Respond to emergencies, such as escapes.
  • Supervise and direct the work of correctional officers to ensure the safe custody, discipline, and welfare of inmates.
  • Supervise or perform searches of inmates or their quarters to locate contraband items.
  • Monitor behavior of subordinates to ensure alert, courteous, and professional behavior toward inmates, parolees, fellow employees, visitors, and the public.
  • Restrain, secure, or control offenders, using chemical agents, firearms, or other weapons of force as necessary.

Skills and Knowledge

Successful first-line supervisors of correctional officers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Active Listening  4.0 / 5
0
5
Social Perceptiveness  4.0 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  4.0 / 5
0
5
Coordination  4.0 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  4.0 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.9 / 5
0
5

Core Knowledge

Public Safety and Security  4.8 / 5
0
5
Law and Government  4.4 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  4.2 / 5
0
5
Psychology  4.1 / 5
0
5
English Language  4.0 / 5
0
5
Administrative  3.7 / 5
0
5

Types of First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers Jobs

Common job titles for this role include:

  • Commissary Manager
  • Correction Officer Supervisor
  • Correction Warden
  • Correctional Captain
  • Correctional Case Records Supervisor
  • Correctional Housing Unit Manager
  • Correctional Officer Captain
  • Correctional Program Supervisor

Employment and Demand

There are about 242,460 first-line supervisors of correctional officers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +8.8% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers Pay

Statistic Value
Annual median $78,129
Hourly median $37.56
10th percentile $56,179
25th percentile $67,154
75th percentile $89,104
90th percentile $100,079

Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

Pay by State

State Annual median salary
California $127,380
New Jersey $110,850
Oregon $108,060
Illinois $106,510
Nevada $103,230
Utah $97,430
New York $97,390
Massachusetts $96,450
Alaska $95,120
Washington $94,070
Hawaii $93,840
Pennsylvania $92,480
Wisconsin $92,410
Minnesota $91,790
Connecticut $84,040
New Hampshire $80,620
Alabama $80,570
Delaware $79,960
Nebraska $79,610
Ohio $78,480
Maryland $78,280
North Dakota $76,980
Michigan $75,460
Arizona $75,400
South Dakota $75,320
Colorado $74,420
Iowa $73,880
Wyoming $72,550
Tennessee $70,510
Idaho $69,720
Vermont $69,330
South Carolina $68,310
North Carolina $66,800
Montana $65,120
Virginia $64,830
Maine $64,500
Kansas $61,730
New Mexico $61,360
Texas $59,590
Louisiana $59,290
Oklahoma $57,390
West Virginia $56,720
Indiana $55,160
Florida $54,270
Georgia $54,080
Kentucky $50,950
Mississippi $48,830
Arkansas $48,620
Missouri $45,390

Pay by U.S. Region

Pay for first-line supervisors of correctional officers shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Far Western US $117,334 12.7% 0.86
Middle Atlantic $94,364 15.6% 1.13
Great Lakes $88,433 12.8% 1.11
New England $84,137 2.3% 0.68
Rocky Mountains $76,066 3.1% 0.82
Plains States $66,491 6.7% 1.21
Southwest $61,927 12.3% 1.01
Southeast $57,593 34.4% 1.69

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA CA $130,830 580
Fresno, CA CA $129,860 340
El Centro, CA CA $127,920 210
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $127,850 180
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA CA $127,850 110
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA CA $127,380 620
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA CA $123,670 240
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ NY $120,270 2,020

Industry Breakdown

Most first-line supervisors of correctional officers are found across these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 1,360 $68,800

First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers work in the following industries:

First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers industries

Software First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers Use

  • Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

The Day-to-Day Environment

The work environment for first-line supervisors of correctional officers reflects the following characteristics:

  • E-Mail
  • Telephone Conversations
  • Contact With Others
  • Health and Safety of Other Workers
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled

How to Become First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

Typical first-line supervisors of correctional officers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

About the Data

This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 33-1011.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers).

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