Correctional Officer Careers Information
Correctional officers serve their country by operating and maintaining its network of prisons, jails, penitentiaries, and other correctional facilities. While their work is not necessarily the most glamorous in the world, it provides an extremely necessary service, and offers excellent career prospects for those who can handle a tough environment.
Correctional Officer Careers & Degrees
- Colorado Technical University - Undergraduate: Undergraduate - Online
- B.S. in Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice - Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice - Human Services
- Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Grand Canyon University: Online
Post University: OnlineThe experience that correctional officers garner can be a valuable asset for other careers in law enforcement, criminal justice, police work and even a legal career.
Correctional Officer Careers Path
All correctional officers need to have at least a high school degree. Federal prisons have higher requirements than their state counterparts, and require a Bachelor’s degree, 3 years of related experience, or some combination of the two. State and local prisons, on the other hand, sometimes require experience in the military, college, or law enforcement.
Degrees in criminal justice or corrections from colleges and universities, offered at the Certificate, Associate’s, and Bachelor’s level, help to fill out the resume of prospective corrections employees.
Correctional Officer Careers: Compatible Personality Traits
Quick-thinking, resourceful, dependable, confident, assertive, rugged, stable, sturdy.
Correctional Officer Interview
Read More from a Correctional Officer…
Correctional Officer Careers: Salary Expectations
The median annual earnings for correctional officers is $38,380. Most correctional officers also enjoy the perks of government employment, so benefits and job security are excellent. Moreover, overtime pay often pushes the salaries of correctional officers at certain prisons higher than the national median.
Correctional Officer Careers: Job Outlook
Growth potential in corrections is strong. With the US prison population not exactly expected to stop growing anytime soon, employment prospects in corrections are great.
Barring a massive shift in the criminal justice system, careers in prisons, jails, and detention centers are about as safe as they get. Employment is expected to rise by 16% by 2016, which is faster than the economy as a whole.
Slightly Off the Footpath
Source: bls.gov/oco/ocos156.htm
