Career Overview
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of correctional officers and jailers.
Also Known As
- Correctional Officer Captain
- Correctional Supervisor
Alternate Job Titles
- Commissary Manager
- Correction Officer Supervisor
- Correction Warden
- Correctional Captain
- Correctional Case Records Supervisor
- Correctional Housing Unit Manager
- Correctional Officer Captain
- Correctional Program Supervisor
- Correctional Supervisor
- Corrections Lieutenant
- Detention Director
- Detention Supervisor
- Guard Chief
- Guard Supervisor
- Juvenile Justice Supervisor
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Take, receive, or check periodic inmate counts.
- Maintain order, discipline, and security within assigned areas in accordance with relevant rules, regulations, policies, and laws.
- Maintain knowledge of, comply with, and enforce all institutional policies, rules, procedures, and regulations.
- Respond to emergencies, such as escapes.
- Supervise and direct the work of correctional officers to ensure the safe custody, discipline, and welfare of inmates.
- Supervise or perform searches of inmates or their quarters to locate contraband items.
- Monitor behavior of subordinates to ensure alert, courteous, and professional behavior toward inmates, parolees, fellow employees, visitors, and the public.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Public Safety and Security
- Law and Government
- Administration and Management
- Psychology
- English Language
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Education and Training
- Personnel and Human Resources
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Management of Personnel Resources
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Inductive Reasoning
- Speech Clarity
- Speech Recognition
- Near Vision
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Dependability
- Self-Control
- Cautiousness
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Independence
- Achievement
- Working Conditions
- Relationships
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Air-supplying respirators
- Closed circuit television CCTV surveillance systems
- Cut resistant gloves
- Data collectors
- Desktop computers
- Electroshock weapons
- Emergency fire extinguishers
- Expandable batons
- Fire detection systems
- Fire suppression blankets
- Handheld metal detectors
- Laptop computers
- Law enforcement flashlights
- Law enforcement handguns
- Lower body armor
Work Environment
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Health and Safety of Other Workers
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $50,340 |
| Median | $76,310 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $125,170 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 53,390
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Correctional Officers and Jailers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $57,970
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $64,520
First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $58,610
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $105,980
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $76,290
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.