Quick answer: The Rochester metro employs about 1,390 correctional officers and jailers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through the hiring agency or your state corrections department on current requirements.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. 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.
See the New York licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with the hiring agency or your state corrections department on current requirements.
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.
This page lists 2 schools within 244 miles, nearest first in 25-mile distance bands, then by BOC Score inside each band with the highest at the top. 2 of them carry a score.
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.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Correctional Officers and Jailers in the Rochester area earn a median $76,820 per year, above the national median of $58,940 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Rochester metro | New York | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $76,820 | $76,820 | $58,940 |
| 10th percentile | $60,600 | $58,940 | $42,760 |
| 25th percentile | $71,390 | $68,450 | $48,640 |
| 75th percentile | $80,450 | $91,250 | $75,850 |
| 90th percentile | $85,070 | $93,220 | $93,220 |
| Employment | 1,390 | 27,770 | 380,500 |
| Location quotient | 1.15 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Rochester, NY metropolitan statistical area.
The Rochester median of $76,820 is above the national median of $58,940, and level with the New York statewide median of $76,820 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.15 means correctional officers and jailers are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Corrections employment tracks facility locations, which are often outside major metros - one of the few public-safety fields where smaller markets carry deep hiring.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $93,220 | 14,730 |
| Kiryas Joel | $75,240 | 1,990 |
| Buffalo | $76,170 | 1,590 |
| Utica | $72,890 | 1,300 |
| Albany | $59,970 | 600 |
| Elmira | $76,820 | 550 |
| Syracuse | $72,060 | 530 |
| Glens Falls | $69,840 | 370 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
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.
The median annual wage for correctional officers and jailers in the Rochester, NY metro area is $76,820, above the national median of $58,940 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Rochester, NY metro area employs about 1,390 correctional officers and jailers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. 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. Confirm current requirements with the hiring agency or your state corrections department on current requirements.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies the hiring agency or your state corrections department on current requirements.
The Rochester metro median is $76,820 against a statewide median of $76,820 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
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/.
