Quick answer: California employs about 37,860 correctional officers and jailers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through the hiring agency or your state corrections department on current requirements. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Compare corrections programs enrolling now:
Licensing and Credentials in California
Correctional officer hiring runs through an agency academy and background process the degree does not replace; probation and treatment-specialist roles more commonly ask for the bachelor’s. Requirements are set agency by agency and state by state, and change.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with the hiring agency or your state corrections department on current requirements that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 113 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What Correctional Officers and Jailers Earn in California
Correctional Officers and Jailers in California earn a median $96,370 per year, above the national median of $58,940 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Corrections Pay and Employment in California at a Glance
Metric
California
National
Source
Median annual wage
$96,370
$58,940
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$63,380
$42,760
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$76,370
$48,640
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$109,580
$75,850
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$114,730
$93,220
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
37,860
380,500
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.85
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
-7.8%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How California Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The California median of $96,370 sits above the national median of $58,940 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.85 puts California slightly below the national average, so the occupation is a little less common here than in the typical state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Corrections employment tracks facility locations, which are often outside major metros - one of the few public-safety fields where smaller markets carry deep hiring.
Correctional Officers and Jailers Wages by Metro Area in California
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), correctional officers and jailers wages in California vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
6,070
$78,770
$83,090
$60,180
$109,580
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
4,800
$94,730
$90,290
$63,380
$114,730
Bakersfield-Delano
3,280
$107,220
$96,930
$69,770
$114,730
Fresno
2,660
$94,010
$90,780
$64,880
$113,660
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
1,920
$89,730
$86,280
$52,190
$112,800
Salinas
1,510
$109,620
$99,160
$69,800
$116,270
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
1,500
$99,880
$97,620
$69,800
$119,450
Stockton-Lodi
1,220
$107,220
$95,460
$69,770
$112,800
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
1,050
$132,670
$126,290
$90,020
$132,670
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
710
$107,220
$102,510
$85,720
$114,730
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
470
$94,740
$86,470
$64,190
$95,740
Merced
270
$78,370
$77,060
$59,070
$94,540
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
120
$80,950
$87,850
$60,050
$101,500
Redding
110
$57,960
$65,780
$50,130
$73,670
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do correctional officers and jailers make in California?
The median annual wage for correctional officers and jailers in California is $96,370, above the national median of $58,940 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $76,370 at the 25th percentile to $109,580 at the 75th.
How many correctional officers and jailers work in California?
California holds about 37,860 corrections professional jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 380,500, and BLS projects about 30,100 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a corrections professional in California?
Correctional officer hiring runs through an agency academy and background process the degree does not replace; probation and treatment-specialist roles more commonly ask for the bachelor's. Requirements are set agency by agency and state by state, and change. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with the hiring agency or your state corrections department on current requirements before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a corrections associate or bachelor's online while working in California?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies the hiring agency or your state corrections department on current requirements.
What is the highest-paying area of California for correctional officers and jailers?
Among California metro areas with published data, San Jose reports the highest median at $132,670 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is California a good state for correctional officers and jailers?
On pay, the state median of $96,370 sits above the national $58,940 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.85 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Correctional Officers and Jailers (SOC 33-3012), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
