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How to Become a Correctional Officer: Degree & Salary (2026)
Key takeaway: Becoming a correctional officer at a state, county, or local facility generally requires a high school diploma or GED rather than a college degree, followed by a background investigation, a corrections academy run by the hiring agency or state commission, and an on-the-job probationary period; the federal Bureau of Prisons is the notable exception, requiring a bachelor's degree, three years of qualifying experience, or a combination of the two. Correctional officers and jailers earn a national median annual wage of $58,940 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median).
Corrections is one of the few criminal justice careers you can enter without college, and it is worth being direct about that rather than implying otherwise. The credential that lets you work the housing units is agency training and state certification, not a diploma. What a degree changes is your access to the parts of the system above the officer post: supervisory ranks, classification and case management, probation and parole, treatment programming, and administration.
This guide covers the entry path exactly as agencies run it, distinguishes state and county hiring from the federal Bureau of Prisons, and is explicit about which requirements are legally binding and which are simply competitive.
Step-by-step: how to become a correctional officer
Meet the baseline eligibility requirements. Most state and county agencies require U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency, a valid driver’s license, and a minimum age of 18 to 21 depending on the jurisdiction and the facility type. The federal Bureau of Prisons applies a maximum entry age, standard for federal law enforcement positions, in addition to a minimum. Felony convictions and domestic violence convictions are disqualifying in essentially every jurisdiction.
Meet the education requirement. For most state, county, and municipal corrections agencies, the requirement is a high school diploma or GED. The federal Bureau of Prisons is different: correctional officer applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in any field, or have three years of qualifying full-time experience involving supervision or counseling of individuals, or a combination of education and experience that meets the standard.
Pass written testing and physical assessment. Agencies typically administer a written exam covering reading comprehension, writing, and judgment, plus a physical abilities test that may include stair climbing, dummy drag, restraint application, and timed movement. Federal applicants complete an additional structured assessment and must meet physical and medical standards for a law enforcement position.
Clear the background investigation and screening. Expect a criminal history check, employment and reference verification, credit review, drug screening, and a medical examination. Many agencies add a psychological evaluation, and some administer a polygraph. Federal positions require a full background investigation for a security clearance, which extends the timeline considerably.
Complete the corrections academy. After a conditional offer you attend a basic corrections training academy. Length varies by state and by agency, commonly ranging from a few weeks to several months of full-time instruction covering security procedures, use of force and de-escalation, inmate rights and constitutional law, contraband control, emergency response, report writing, first aid, and firearms where the post requires it. Federal officers complete introductory correctional techniques training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Glynco, Georgia, plus institution familiarization training at their assigned facility.
Earn state certification where it is required. Certification structures vary widely. Some states certify correctional officers through the same commission that certifies peace officers and require passing a state examination; others delegate training and certification entirely to the department of corrections; and some county jails operate under separate jail-officer standards. Certification is state-specific and generally does not transfer across state lines without a review or a bridging course.
Complete field training and probation. New officers work supervised posts alongside experienced staff before being assigned independently, then serve a probationary period commonly running six months to one year. Annual in-service training hours are required to maintain certification in most states.
What degree do you need to be a correctional officer?
None, at most state and county agencies — a high school diploma or GED meets the stated minimum. A degree matters for the federal path and for everything above the entry post.
- An online bachelor’s in corrections satisfies the federal Bureau of Prisons education requirement outright and is the credential most often expected for classification, case management, and supervisory tracks.
- An online master’s in corrections targets administration, policy, program management, and training roles within a department of corrections rather than entry-level hiring.
- A bachelor’s in criminal justice is an equally accepted alternative where a specific corrections major is not offered near you, and it keeps the door open to law enforcement and court-system roles.
Because corrections runs on shift schedules, officers commonly complete a degree online after they are hired. See Is a Corrections Degree Worth It? for how to weigh that decision against pay steps.
How much do correctional officers make?
Correctional officers and jailers earn a national median annual wage of $58,940 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median). Half of officers earn more and half earn less; pay varies significantly because state departments of corrections, county sheriff’s offices, and the federal government each set their own salary schedules, and shift differentials and overtime are a meaningful share of many officers’ actual earnings.
View the data behind this chart
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,760 |
| 25th percentile | $48,640 |
| Median | $58,940 |
| 75th percentile | $75,850 |
| 90th percentile | $93,220 |
View the data behind this chart
| State | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| California | $96,370 |
| New Jersey | $94,770 |
| Massachusetts | $86,310 |
| Oregon | $83,690 |
| Washington | $79,460 |
| Illinois | $79,190 |
| New York | $76,820 |
| Nevada | $76,490 |
The supervisory step is where the pay curve moves: first-line supervisors of correctional officers earn a national median annual wage of $77,970 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median). Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, the most common lateral move out of custody work, earn $66,270 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median).
How long does it take to become a correctional officer?
If you already meet the education minimum, plan on roughly six months to a year and a half from application to independent post assignment. Adding a bachelor’s degree for the federal path extends the front end by about four years.
| Phase | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Application, testing, and background investigation | 2 to 6 months, longer for federal clearance |
| Corrections academy | A few weeks to several months, varies by state |
| Facility and field training | 4 to 12 weeks |
| Probationary period | 6 months to 1 year |
| Optional or federal-required bachelor’s degree | About 4 years, or fewer with transfer credit |
These are ranges rather than guarantees, and academy classes run on scheduled start dates rather than continuously.
Frequently asked questions
What degree do you need to be a correctional officer?
At most state, county, and local agencies, none — a high school diploma or GED is the stated minimum. The federal Bureau of Prisons requires a bachelor’s degree in any field, three years of qualifying experience supervising or counseling individuals, or a combination of the two.
How long does it take to become a correctional officer?
Roughly six months to a year and a half if you already meet the education minimum: two to six months for application, testing, and background investigation, a few weeks to several months of academy, several weeks of facility training, and a probationary period of six months to a year. Earning a bachelor’s degree for the federal path adds about four years.
Do you need a degree to be a correctional officer?
Not for most state and county positions. Corrections is genuinely accessible without college, and agency academy training plus state certification is what qualifies you for the post. A degree is required for federal Bureau of Prisons hiring without three years of qualifying experience, and it is commonly expected for classification, case management, and supervisory roles.
How much do correctional officers make?
Correctional officers and jailers earn a national median annual wage of $58,940 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median). First-line supervisors of correctional officers earn a national median of $77,970 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median).
Does correctional officer certification transfer between states?
Generally not automatically. Training standards and certifying bodies differ by state — some certify corrections staff through the same commission that certifies peace officers, others through the department of corrections, and county jails may operate under separate jail-officer standards. Moving usually requires a review and often a bridging or full academy. Confirm with the destination state’s standards body.
Is a correctional officer the same as a probation officer?
No. Correctional officers supervise incarcerated people inside a facility and typically enter with a high school diploma or GED. Probation officers supervise people serving community sentences, work for courts or community corrections agencies, and generally require a bachelor’s degree. See How to Become a Probation Officer for that path.
Related guides
- Online Corrections Degrees Guide — the full hub covering degree levels and program formats
- Online Bachelor’s in Corrections — the credential that satisfies federal hiring and supervisory tracks
- What Can You Do With a Corrections Degree? — the full range of roles across custody, community supervision, and administration
- How to Become a Probation Officer — the most common degree-based move out of custody work
- How to Become a Police Officer — a parallel sworn path with its own academy and certification
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025 national medians). Hiring standards, academy length, and certification rules are set by individual states and agencies; confirm requirements with the department of corrections or sheriff’s office you intend to apply to.
Data verified: August 12, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
Back to Online Corrections Degrees: Programs & Careers (2026)