First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers (SOC 33-1011) earn a median $77,970 a year ($37.49 an hour) in the United States, with 53,380 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What first-line supervisors of correctional officers do
First-line supervisors of correctional officers directly supervise and coordinate the activities of correctional officers and jailers. Their duties include supervising and directing officers to ensure the safe custody, discipline and welfare of inmates, and taking, receiving or checking periodic inmate counts. They maintain order, discipline and security within assigned areas in accordance with rules, regulations, policies and laws, and they enforce all institutional policies and procedures. They supervise or perform searches of inmates or their quarters to find contraband and respond to emergencies such as escapes. When necessary they restrain, secure or control offenders using chemical agents, firearms or other weapons of force. They also monitor the behavior of subordinates to make sure officers act in an alert, courteous and professional way toward inmates, parolees, fellow employees, visitors and the public. O*NET alternate titles include correctional supervisor, correctional officer captain, detention supervisor and juvenile justice supervisor. About 59 percent of respondents report a high school diploma and 23 percent an associate degree. The supervisor differs from a warden or jail administrator, who manages a whole institution, and from the officers on the line.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical level of education for this occupation (59 percent).
Also called: Correction Officer Supervisor, Correction Warden, Correctional Case Records Supervisor, Correctional Officer Captain, Correctional Supervisor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $25.16 | $28.80 | $37.49 | $49.68 | $61.43 | $40.57 | 53,380 |
| Annual | $52,330 | $59,890 | $77,970 | $103,320 | $127,780 | $84,380 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where first-line supervisors of correctional officers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $52.32 | $60.38 | $63.08 | $69.42 | $74.81 | $63.77 | 4,550 | 0.25 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $108,830 | $125,590 | $131,210 | $144,400 | $155,600 | $132,640 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $50.58 | $53.22 | $56.47 | $62.31 | $66.87 | $58.71 | 1,340 | 0.31 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $105,200 | $110,690 | $117,450 | $129,610 | $139,090 | $122,120 | ||||
| Utah | Hourly | $36.69 | $46.29 | $53.08 | $58.81 | $62.48 | $51.56 | 340 | 0.20 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $76,320 | $96,290 | $110,410 | $122,320 | $129,960 | $107,240 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $39.87 | $47.39 | $51.57 | $60.50 | $66.90 | $52.84 | 190 | 0.13 | 0.36 |
| Annual | $82,930 | $98,580 | $107,260 | $125,840 | $139,150 | $109,900 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $39.93 | $45.91 | $50.93 | $55.43 | $61.52 | $50.78 | 460 | 0.13 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $83,050 | $95,500 | $105,930 | $115,300 | $127,950 | $105,620 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $24.93 | $25.67 | $26.74 | $32.35 | $48.43 | $31.60 | 6,480 | 0.65 | 1.90 |
| Annual | $51,850 | $53,390 | $55,620 | $67,290 | $100,740 | $65,720 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $52.32 | $60.38 | $63.08 | $69.42 | $74.81 | $63.77 | 4,550 | 0.25 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $108,830 | $125,590 | $131,210 | $144,400 | $155,600 | $132,640 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $28.80 | $28.80 | $30.09 | $33.77 | $46.67 | $32.99 | 4,200 | 0.30 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $59,890 | $59,890 | $62,590 | $70,250 | $97,080 | $68,630 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $38.35 | $42.43 | $49.68 | $58.46 | $60.82 | $50.19 | 3,380 | 0.35 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $79,770 | $88,260 | $103,320 | $121,600 | $126,510 | $104,390 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $40.38 | $45.00 | $50.70 | $62.30 | $77.30 | $55.11 | 2,860 | 0.47 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $83,990 | $93,590 | $105,450 | $129,590 | $160,790 | $114,640 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | $58.39 | $62.13 | $64.92 | $71.59 | $82.18 | $66.99 | 540 | 0.50 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $121,450 | $129,230 | $135,040 | $148,900 | $170,940 | $139,330 | ||||
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | Hourly | $59.22 | $61.25 | $63.70 | $70.21 | $75.03 | $65.23 | 110 | 0.88 | 2.55 |
| Annual | $123,170 | $127,390 | $132,490 | $146,040 | $156,060 | $135,670 | ||||
| Fresno, CA | Hourly | $55.11 | $61.24 | $63.36 | $68.67 | $73.65 | $63.54 | 350 | 0.73 | 2.14 |
| Annual | $114,620 | $127,380 | $131,790 | $142,840 | $153,200 | $132,160 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | $46.41 | $61.25 | $63.35 | $68.83 | $74.54 | $62.80 | 590 | 0.34 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $96,530 | $127,390 | $131,780 | $143,170 | $155,040 | $130,630 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $44.20 | $56.67 | $63.28 | $67.91 | $74.81 | $61.37 | 160 | 0.07 | 0.20 |
| Annual | $91,930 | $117,880 | $131,630 | $141,250 | $155,600 | $127,650 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $49.68 | $56.47 | $58.46 | $61.51 | $66.71 | $59.16 | 1,990 | 0.21 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $103,320 | $117,450 | $121,600 | $127,940 | $138,750 | $123,050 | ||||
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | Hourly | $32.93 | $34.20 | $38.05 | $45.02 | $58.81 | $40.40 | 1,190 | 0.88 | 2.56 |
| Annual | $68,490 | $71,130 | $79,150 | $93,640 | $122,320 | $84,030 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $26.13 | $26.87 | $32.15 | $61.59 | $61.78 | $41.48 | 750 | 0.27 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $54,350 | $55,890 | $66,860 | $128,110 | $128,500 | $86,280 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $36.96 | $39.98 | $47.26 | $56.22 | $60.23 | $48.06 | 730 | 0.25 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $76,880 | $83,160 | $98,300 | $116,940 | $125,270 | $99,970 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $24.53 | $25.83 | $29.61 | $36.26 | $44.89 | $31.63 | 680 | 0.24 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $51,030 | $53,730 | $61,580 | $75,420 | $93,370 | $65,790 | ||||
Top industries employing first-line supervisors of correctional officers
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) employ 63.0% of first-line supervisors of correctional officers nationally (33,630 jobs) at a median $75,090 a year ($36.10 an hour), followed by Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (32.1%) and Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) (2.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 33,630 | 63.0% | $75,090 | $36.10 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 17,130 | 32.1% | $79,450 | $38.20 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 1,420 | 2.7% | $93,770 | $45.08 |
| Facilities Support Services NAICS 561200 | 1,060 | 2.0% | $65,840 | $31.65 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals NAICS 622200 | 90 | 0.2% | $83,070 | $39.94 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (53,380). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $62,220 for first-line supervisors of correctional officers in May 2021 and $77,970 in May 2025, with employment of 54,470 and 53,380.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $62,220 | $29.91 | 54,470 |
| May 2022 | $63,310 | $30.44 | 55,900 |
| May 2023 | $70,530 | $33.91 | 52,280 |
| May 2024 | $76,310 | $36.69 | 53,390 |
| May 2025 | $77,970 | $37.49 | 53,380 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $63.08 | $131,210 | $108,830 | $155,600 | 4,550 | 0.25 | 0.73 |
| 2 | New Jersey profile | $56.47 | $117,450 | $105,200 | $139,090 | 1,340 | 0.31 | 0.91 |
| 3 | Utah profile | $53.08 | $110,410 | $76,320 | $129,960 | 340 | 0.20 | 0.57 |
| 4 | Nevada profile | $51.57 | $107,260 | $82,930 | $139,150 | 190 | 0.13 | 0.36 |
| 5 | Massachusetts profile | $50.93 | $105,930 | $83,050 | $127,950 | 460 | 0.13 | 0.37 |
| 6 | Illinois profile | $50.70 | $105,450 | $83,990 | $160,790 | 2,860 | 0.47 | 1.36 |
| 7 | New York profile | $49.68 | $103,320 | $79,770 | $126,510 | 3,380 | 0.35 | 1.02 |
| 8 | Oregon profile | $48.02 | $99,890 | $86,090 | $130,380 | 610 | 0.31 | 0.90 |
| 9 | Washington profile | $47.55 | $98,910 | $82,560 | $124,530 | 1,400 | 0.40 | 1.15 |
| 10 | Alaska profile | $47.32 | $98,420 | $82,220 | $131,900 | 300 | 0.93 | 2.70 |
| 11 | Hawaii profile | $46.73 | $97,200 | $82,240 | $113,800 | 60 | 0.10 | 0.28 |
| 12 | Minnesota profile | $46.50 | $96,720 | $75,620 | $119,620 | 750 | 0.26 | 0.74 |
| 13 | Wisconsin profile | $46.28 | $96,260 | $74,070 | $108,240 | 800 | 0.27 | 0.79 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania profile | $45.48 | $94,600 | $63,230 | $119,870 | 1,520 | 0.25 | 0.73 |
| 15 | Connecticut profile | $42.86 | $89,160 | $77,750 | $106,390 | 490 | 0.29 | 0.85 |
| 16 | New Hampshire profile | $41.13 | $85,550 | $63,140 | $101,880 | 150 | 0.22 | 0.64 |
| 17 | Delaware profile | $40.75 | $84,760 | $59,160 | $104,880 | 240 | 0.49 | 1.44 |
| 18 | Vermont profile | $39.28 | $81,700 | $66,460 | $98,160 | 60 | 0.19 | 0.55 |
| 19 | Colorado profile | $39.16 | $81,460 | $70,610 | $118,710 | 810 | 0.28 | 0.82 |
| 20 | Nebraska profile | $38.70 | $80,490 | $60,930 | $105,020 | 340 | 0.33 | 0.95 |
| 21 | Alabama profile | $38.57 | $80,230 | $46,630 | $102,960 | 470 | 0.22 | 0.65 |
| 22 | Idaho profile | $38.14 | $79,330 | $60,110 | $105,680 | 160 | 0.19 | 0.56 |
| 23 | Maryland profile | $38.05 | $79,150 | $67,210 | $117,190 | 2,010 | 0.73 | 2.12 |
| 24 | Michigan profile | $37.57 | $78,150 | $63,690 | $103,330 | 1,020 | 0.23 | 0.68 |
| 25 | Ohio profile | $37.29 | $77,570 | $51,770 | $102,810 | 600 | 0.11 | 0.32 |
| 26 | South Dakota profile | $37.21 | $77,400 | $61,890 | $88,820 | 80 | 0.17 | 0.51 |
| 27 | South Carolina profile | $37.07 | $77,110 | $50,350 | $108,570 | 360 | 0.16 | 0.46 |
| 28 | Arizona profile | $35.98 | $74,840 | $67,570 | $99,490 | 890 | 0.28 | 0.80 |
| 29 | Montana profile | $35.88 | $74,630 | $59,160 | $78,120 | 240 | 0.47 | 1.38 |
| 30 | Iowa profile | $35.78 | $74,420 | $57,350 | $97,040 | 310 | 0.20 | 0.57 |
| 31 | Tennessee profile | $35.64 | $74,140 | $37,930 | $92,120 | 740 | 0.23 | 0.66 |
| 32 | North Dakota profile | $35.21 | $73,240 | $50,960 | $94,130 | 180 | 0.41 | 1.20 |
| 33 | Kansas profile | $34.42 | $71,590 | $50,030 | $95,230 | 1,080 | 0.76 | 2.20 |
| 34 | Wyoming profile | $34.02 | $70,770 | $65,210 | $95,660 | 110 | 0.39 | 1.12 |
| 35 | Maine profile | $32.57 | $67,750 | $57,160 | $82,190 | 140 | 0.22 | 0.64 |
| 36 | North Carolina profile | $32.34 | $67,270 | $51,130 | $94,300 | 1,090 | 0.22 | 0.64 |
| 37 | Virginia profile | $30.86 | $64,190 | $54,600 | $99,600 | 2,230 | 0.54 | 1.58 |
| 38 | New Mexico profile | $30.47 | $63,380 | $56,510 | $87,610 | 530 | 0.61 | 1.79 |
| 39 | Kentucky profile | $30.18 | $62,780 | $36,280 | $87,580 | 780 | 0.39 | 1.14 |
| 40 | Texas profile | $30.09 | $62,590 | $59,890 | $97,080 | 4,200 | 0.30 | 0.87 |
| 41 | Indiana profile | $29.55 | $61,460 | $49,390 | $84,810 | 1,360 | 0.43 | 1.24 |
| 42 | Louisiana profile | $28.35 | $58,960 | $44,890 | $90,080 | 1,300 | 0.67 | 1.95 |
| 43 | Georgia profile | $28.19 | $58,640 | $48,740 | $77,790 | 2,310 | 0.47 | 1.38 |
| 44 | West Virginia profile | $27.16 | $56,490 | $39,850 | $96,100 | 230 | 0.32 | 0.94 |
| 45 | Mississippi profile | $27.15 | $56,470 | $37,180 | $90,560 | 340 | 0.29 | 0.85 |
| 46 | Oklahoma profile | $26.97 | $56,100 | $43,990 | $82,810 | 530 | 0.31 | 0.90 |
| 47 | Florida profile | $26.74 | $55,620 | $51,850 | $100,740 | 6,480 | 0.65 | 1.90 |
| 48 | Arkansas profile | $23.84 | $49,590 | $39,610 | $66,330 | 1,720 | 1.32 | 3.85 |
| 49 | Missouri profile | $22.52 | $46,840 | $46,840 | $73,030 | 1,090 | 0.37 | 1.08 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (33-1010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Protective Service Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 33-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 33-1011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 33-1011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.