Correctional Officers vs. Security Guards: Pay, Job Outlook and Training Compared (2025 BLS Data)
- Correctional Officers had the higher median annual wage in May 2025: $58,940, versus $38,020 for security guards.
- There are more security guards: about 1,283,470 U.S. jobs, versus 380,500 for correctional officers.
- BLS projects employment of correctional officers to change by -7.4% and employment of security guards by 0.9% from 2025 to 2035.
Choosing between correctional officers and security guards, or thinking about switching? This side-by-side uses the federal government’s BLS OEWS national data, May 2025 for pay and job counts and BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35 for growth, openings and typical entry requirements. BLS occupation titles: “Correctional Officers and Jailers” (SOC 33-3012) and “Security Guards” (SOC 33-9032). More detail: Correctional Officers (BLS) and Security Guards (BLS).
Pay side by side
| May 2025 | Correctional Officers | Security Guards |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. jobs | 380,500 | 1,283,470 |
| 10th percentile (annual) | $42,760 | $30,210 |
| 25th percentile | $48,640 | $35,210 |
| Median (annual) | $58,940 | $38,020 |
| Median (hourly) | $28.34 | $18.28 |
| 75th percentile | $75,850 | $46,200 |
| 90th percentile | $93,220 | $58,840 |
| Mean (average) | $63,630 | $42,470 |
Percentile wages: for example, 10% of workers earn less than the 10th-percentile figure. OEWS wages exclude overtime, tips and most bonuses.
Outlook and how you get in
| BLS Employment Projections | Correctional Officers | Security Guards |
|---|---|---|
| Projected job growth, 2025–35 | -7.4% | 0.9% |
| Openings per year (avg.) | 28.4 thousand | 156.0 thousand |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Work experience in a related job | none | none |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
Openings include jobs that open up when workers retire or change occupations, not just new positions, which is why a field with slow growth can still hire a lot of people every year.
Where each job pays best
The three states with the highest median wage for each occupation (BLS OEWS state data, May 2025):
| Rank | Correctional Officers | Security Guards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California – $96,370 | District of Columbia – $64,210 |
| 2 | New Jersey – $94,770 | Alaska – $47,480 |
| 3 | Massachusetts – $86,310 | Washington – $47,100 |
By industry, correctional officers earned the highest median in Government (federal, state and local; excludes public schools, public hospitals and the Postal Service) ($59,470) and security guards in Utilities ($66,720), counting sectors with at least 1,000 jobs in the occupation (BLS OEWS industry data).
Which should you pick?
- Look past the median. Compare the 25th and 75th percentiles too: they show what a typical early-career and an experienced worker earn in each field.
- Count the cost of entry. The education and training rows above tell you how long it takes to start earning. A longer path can still pay off if the pay gap is large.
- Check your area. State pay differs a lot from the national figure; use the state table and your local job ads before deciding.
- Already in one of these jobs? If your pay is below the 25th percentile for your field, that is a concrete number to bring to a raise conversation.
Published November 9, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
One more data point, from metro-level data: among metro areas with at least 300 jobs in the occupation, the highest median for correctional officers was in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($132,670, 1,050 jobs), and for security guards it was in Idaho Falls, ID ($78,680, 570 jobs). Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan-area data, May 2025.
— JobPayRaise Data Desk