Considering a career in criminal justice? You’ll certainly have plenty of job opportunities. Currently, about 5 million people are under some level of supervision in the criminal justice system. 2 million of those are locked up in federal or state incarceration facilities. If you’d like to become a corrections officer, you’d do well to consider carefully where in the country to live, as the median pay differs widely by state. We’ve ranked the states by median pay for correction officers as reported by All Criminal Justice Schools.

24/7 Wall St. Insights

• Annual salaries for correction officers range from a low of $25,330 to a high of $108,120.
• Higher salaries may reflect not only the higher cost of living in some states but also the fact that some states have higher tax revenues and better-funded criminal justice systems.
• Also checkout this free report: 2 Dividend Legends To Hold Forever

50. Mississippi

• Median: $35,040
• Bottom 10%: $25,330
• Top 10%: $48,630

49. Kentucky

• Median: $36,940
• Bottom 10%: $28,820
• Top 10%: $61,640

48. Missouri

• Median: $38,000
• Bottom 10%: $33,270
• Top 10%: $47,700

47. Louisiana

• Median: $39,420
• Bottom 10%: $28,420
• Top 10%: $58,800

46. Arkansas

• Median: $40,480
• Bottom 10%: $29,760
• Top 10%: $51,670

45. Alabama

• Median: $40,760
• Bottom 10%: $28,200
• Top 10%: $63,170

44. Florida

• Median: $41,180
• Bottom 10%: $38,730
• Top 10%: $71,840

43. New Mexico

• Median: $41,600
• Bottom 10%: $35,590
• Top 10%: $51,020

42. Georgia

• Median: $41,880
• Bottom 10%: $32,660
• Top 10%: $53,910

41. Kansas

• Median: $42,020
• Bottom 10%: $36,250
• Top 10%: $53,010

40. South Carolina

• Median: $43,040
• Bottom 10%: $36,070
• Top 10%: $61,650

39. Oklahoma

• Median: $43,690
• Bottom 10%: $29,820
• Top 10%: $53,060

38. Indiana

• Median: $44,370
• Bottom 10%: $37,960
• Top 10%: $58,680

37. West Virginia

• Median: $45,550
• Bottom 10%: $33,200
• Top 10%: $72,050

36. North Carolina

• Median: $46,440
• Bottom 10%: $37,670
• Top 10%: $38,080

35. Tennessee

• Median: $46,850
• Bottom 10%: $32,960
• Top 10%: $61,170

34. Virginia

• Median: $47,010
• Bottom 10%: $42,000
• Top 10%: $63,520

33. Texas

• Median: $48,030
• Bottom 10%: $41,660
• Top 10%: $60,010

32. Maine

 

• Median: $48,360
• Bottom 10%: $39,650
• Top 10%: $57,280

31. Idaho

• Median: $48,400
• Bottom 10%: $42,120
• Top 10%: $67,970

30. North Dakota

• Median: $48,560
• Bottom 10%: $40,300
• Top 10%: $60,970

29. Wyoming

• Median: $48,830
• Bottom 10%: $41,930
• Top 10%: $62,220

28. Montana

• Median: $48,870
• Bottom 10%: $38,640
• Top 10%: $61,790

27. Iowa

• Median: $48,920
• Bottom 10%: $42,500
• Top 10%: $64,460

26. South Dakota

• Median: $49,950
• Bottom 10%: $38,330
• Top 10%: $62,360

25. Vermont

• Median: $50,250
• Bottom 10%: $41,600
• Top 10%: $64,540

24. New Hampshire

• Median: $52,350
• Bottom 10%: $40,840
• Top 10%: $72,150

23. Arizona

• Median: $53,260
• Bottom 10%: $45,620
• Top 10%: $64,880

22. Delaware

• Median: $53,710
• Bottom 10%: $40,680
• Top 10%: $65,450

21. Ohio

• Median: $56,530
• Bottom 10%: $43,070
• Top 10%: $63,770

20. Nebraska

• Median: $58,240
• Bottom 10%: $44,550
• Top 10%: $69,080

19. Colorado

• Median: $58,470
• Bottom 10%: $48,870
• Top 10%: $83,700

18. Minnesota

• Median: $58,620
• Bottom 10%: $46,030
• Top 10%: $77,730

17. Connecticut

• Median: $59,680
• Bottom 10%: $51,080
• Top 10%: $67,290

16. Maryland

• Median: $58,950
• Bottom 10%: $50,540
• Top 10%: $73,960

15. Pennsylvania

• Median: $59,240
• Bottom 10%: $43,750
• Top 10%: $80,160

14. Utah

• Median: $60,030
• Bottom 10%: $41,720
• Top 10%: $73,340

13. Wisconsin

• Median: $60,630
• Bottom 10%: $49,690
• Top 10%: $75,030

12. Washington

• Median: $62,820
• Bottom 10%: $50,090
• Top 10%: $89,130

11. Michigan

• Median: $62,460
• Bottom 10%: $43,040
• Top 10%: $67,870

10. Hawaii

• Median: $63,110
• Bottom 10%: $55,870
• Top 10%: $74,940

9. Nevada

• Median: $63,500
• Bottom 10%: $46,220
• Top 10%: $101,450

8. Illinois

• Median: $64,440
• Bottom 10%: $47,490
• Top 10%: $90,970

7. Alaska

• Median: $70,870
• Bottom 10%: $53,830
• Top 10%: $96,760

6. New York

• Median: $71,300
• Bottom 10%: $55,210
• Top 10%: $108,930

5. Rhode Island

• Median: $76,000
• Bottom 10%: $52,000
• Top 10%: $100,000

4. Oregon

• Median: $78,070
• Bottom 10%: $54,910
• Top 10%: $90,490

3. Massachusetts

• Median: $78,810
• Bottom 10%: $59,530
• Top 10%: $90,540

2. New Jersey

• Median: $87,460
• Bottom 10%: $50,120
• Top 10%: $99,490

1. California

• Median: $93,160
• Bottom 10%: $62,590
• Top 10%: $108,120

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