First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Protective Service · SOC 33-1011 · O*NET 33-1011.00
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of correctional officers and jailers.
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers fall under the Protective Service category in the U.S. occupational classification. First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers earn a median salary of $76,310 per year, ranking in the top 28% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -2.8% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do first-line supervisors of correctional officers earn?
The median annual wage for first-line supervisors of correctional officers is $76,310. That puts first-line supervisors of correctional officers at #229 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $50,340 |
| 25th percentile | $56,890 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $76,310 |
| 75th percentile | $102,190 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $125,170 |
| Median hourly wage | $36.69/hr |
Is first-line supervisors of correctional officers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for first-line supervisors of correctional officers is -2.8%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 57K positions in 2024 to 55K in 2034, a net change of -2K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do first-line supervisors of correctional officers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working first-line supervisors of correctional officers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Take, receive, or check periodic inmate counts.
- 2.Maintain order, discipline, and security within assigned areas in accordance with relevant rules, regulations, policies, and laws.
- 3.Maintain knowledge of, comply with, and enforce all institutional policies, rules, procedures, and regulations.
- 4.Respond to emergencies, such as escapes.
- 5.Supervise and direct the work of correctional officers to ensure the safe custody, discipline, and welfare of inmates.
- 6.Supervise or perform searches of inmates or their quarters to locate contraband items.
- 7.Monitor behavior of subordinates to ensure alert, courteous, and professional behavior toward inmates, parolees, fellow employees, visitors, and the public.
- 8.Restrain, secure, or control offenders, using chemical agents, firearms, or other weapons of force as necessary.
Top skills for first-line supervisors of correctional officers
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become first-line supervisors of correctional officer?
Many first-line supervisors of correctional officers enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$105,980 median
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators$93,580 median
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$92,430 median
- Transit and Railroad Police$82,320 median
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators$78,060 median
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,290 median
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about first-line supervisors of correctional officers
What is the median salary for first-line supervisors of correctional officers?
The median annual salary for first-line supervisors of correctional officers is $76,310 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is first-line supervisors of correctional officers a growing career?
BLS projects -2.8% growth for first-line supervisors of correctional officers from 2024 through 2034, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2034.
What education does my child need to become first-line supervisors of correctional officer?
The typical entry path requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to first-line supervisors of correctional officers?
Related occupations within the Protective Service category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.