Bailiffs held about 19,600 jobs in 2018. The largest employers of bailiffs were as follows:
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 72% |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 27 |
Correctional officers and jailers held about 434,300 jobs in 2018. The largest employers of correctional officers and jailers were as follows:
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 55% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 36 |
| Facilities support services | 5 |
| Federal government | 4 |
Correctional officers may work indoors or outdoors, and bailiffs generally work in courtrooms. They both may be required to stand for long periods.
Injuries and Illnesses
Working in a correctional institution can be stressful and dangerous. Correctional officers and jailers may become injured in confrontations with inmates, and they have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations.
The job demands that officers be alert and ready to react throughout their entire shift.
Work Schedules
Correctional officers usually work full time on rotating shifts. Because jail and prison security must be provided around the clock, officers work all hours of the day and night, including weekends and holidays. Many officers are required to work overtime. Bailiffs’ hours are determined by when court is in session.
Correctional officers and bailiffs typically attend a training academy. Although qualifications vary by state and agency, all agencies require a high school diploma. Federal agencies may also require some college education or previous work experience.
Many agencies establish a minimum age for correctional officers, which is typically between 18 and 21 years of age.
Education
Correctional officers and bailiffs must have at least a high school diploma or equivalent.
For employment in federal prisons, the Federal Bureau of Prisons requires entry-level correctional officers to have at least a bachelor’s degree or 1 to 3 years of full-time experience in a field providing counseling, assistance, or supervision to individuals.
Training
Correctional officers and bailiffs complete training at an academy. Training typically lasts several months, but this varies by state. The International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training maintains links to states’ Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) programs. Academy trainees receive instruction in a number of subjects, including self-defense, institutional policies, regulations, operations, and security procedures.
Correctional officers typically have an interest in the Building, Persuading and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Building interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Persuading interest area indicates a focus on influencing, motivating, and selling to other people. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.
If you are not sure whether you have a Building or Persuading or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as a correctional officer, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Correctional officers should also possess the following specific qualities:
Good judgment. Officers must use both their training and common sense to quickly determine the best course of action and to take necessary steps to achieve a desired outcome.
Interpersonal skills. Correctional officers must be able to interact and effectively communicate with inmates and others to maintain order in correctional facilities and courtrooms.
Negotiating skills. Officers must be able to assist others in resolving differences to avoid conflict.
Physical strength. Correctional officers must have the strength to physically subdue inmates.
Resourcefulness. Correctional officers often encounter dangerous and unpredictable situations that require a quick response. They must determine the best practical approach to solving a problem and follow through with it.
Self discipline. Correctional officers must control their emotions when confronted with hostile situations.
The median annual wage for bailiffs was $47,830 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,620, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $82,900.
The median annual wage for correctional officers and jailers was $45,180 in May 2019. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $31,740, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $78,090.
In May 2019, the median annual wages for bailiffs in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | $69,130 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 42,610 |
In May 2019, the median annual wages for correctional officers and jailers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Federal government | $58,020 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 46,020 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 44,090 |
| Facilities support services | 39,410 |
Correctional officers usually work full time on rotating shifts. Because jail and prison security must be provided around the clock, officers work all hours of the day and night, including weekends and holidays. Many officers are required to work overtime. Bailiffs’ hours are determined by when court is in session.
Employment of correctional officers and bailiffs is projected to decline 7 percent from 2018 to 2028. State and local budget constraints and prison population levels will determine how many correctional officers are necessary.
Although correctional officers will continue to be needed to watch over the U.S. prison population, changes to criminal laws can have a large effect on how many people are arrested and incarcerated each year.
Faced with high costs for keeping people in prison, many state governments have moved toward laws requiring shorter prison terms and alternatives to prison. While keeping the public safe, community-based programs designed to rehabilitate prisoners and limit their risk of repeated offenses may also reduce prisoner counts.
Bailiffs will continue to be needed to keep order in courtrooms.
Job Prospects
Despite the projected decline in employment, job prospects should still be good due to the need to replace correctional officers who retire, transfer to other occupations, or leave the labor force.
For more information about Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), visit
International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training
For more information about career opportunities for correctional officers at the federal level, visit
For more information about federal government requirements for correctional officers, visit