State rankings

Correctional Officer Salary by State

California has the highest Mean Salary in 2023 ($88,550), followed by New Jersey ($81,900) and Massachusetts ($77,260). Mississippi has the lowest ($37,000).

EconomicsPolitics & Government51 states · 4 metricsUpdated May 14, 2026Original page
3 sources
Year 202349 of 51 states
Compare this metricAdd to combined rankingOpen full map
Cost-of-living adjustmentConverts wages and incomes to what they would buy at average US prices, so $100k in a cheap state and $100k in an expensive one are not treated as equal.More in the glossary →

Mean Salary, 2023

Darker green is better (higher is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 49 ranked

Best first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
$52,030
Middle half $46,830 – $61,140
Average
$55,169
49 states
Highest
$88,550
California
Lowest
$37,000
Mississippi

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

51 states · # = rank by Mean Salary
#
1California$88,550$89,220$59,26033,740
2New Jersey$81,900$74,120$48,6508,540
3Massachusetts$77,260$74,680$57,7405,950
4New York$74,580$66,130$51,20026,080
5Oregon$73,930$73,340$52,4204,330
6Alaska$73,400$67,520$48,9801,170
7Nevada$67,930$61,750$44,9703,100
8Illinois$66,430$65,190$50,53012,070
9Washington$66,040$62,820$49,4806,250
10Hawaii$65,410$61,040$55,6201,280
11Wisconsin$61,590$50,440$41,8106,500
12Pennsylvania$61,410$54,450$42,27015,250
13Colorado$61,140$53,710$45,4706,610
14Maryland$61,000$51,750$46,6505,950
15Connecticut$60,050$55,310$50,2903,620
16Minnesota$59,990$53,680$44,9104,980
17Utah$59,790$47,940$38,6501,810
18Michigan$58,460$60,320$40,5607,790
19Nebraska$58,250$46,500$36,4703,010
20Ohio$55,540$50,980$38,57012,560
21New Hampshire$54,890$50,780$38,100730
22Arizona$54,330$45,810$38,40013,260
23Delaware$52,560$51,460$40,3901,610
24Iowa$52,420$47,120$38,9803,230
25Vermont$52,030$49,800$40,390410
26Idaho$51,620$45,420$38,6801,800
27Wyoming$51,210$44,710$38,090840
28Florida$50,820$41,250$37,91018,890
29North Dakota$50,660$47,170$39,3301,020
30South Dakota$50,500$42,400$34,0401,210
31West Virginia$49,970$40,140$30,6602,590
32Virginia$49,900$42,490$37,02010,390
33Texas$49,540$43,530$36,92035,570
34Montana$48,660$45,000$35,6901,190
35Maine$48,480$44,520$36,460990
36Tennessee$47,050$39,960$31,6408,300
37North Carolina$46,830$38,710$33,11012,140
38Indiana$46,000$39,000$34,8806,870
39South Carolina$44,940$39,210$34,0304,740
40Alabama$44,450$37,860$25,0404,840
41Kansas$43,440$39,850$32,0603,270
42Georgia$43,190$36,440$30,03010,040
43Oklahoma$43,110$34,710$28,0103,910
44New Mexico$42,660$39,660$30,9703,230
45Louisiana$41,480$37,200$23,1006,950
46Arkansas$41,290$39,700$28,9804,590
47Kentucky$40,830$34,830$26,0006,330
48Missouri$40,750$35,980$30,0805,500
49Mississippi$37,000$30,920$22,7104,530
—Rhode Island—$74,220$59,410—
—District of Columbia—$49,640$33,940—

What correlates with Mean Salary (2023)?

Pearson r against 2,097 other state metrics sharing at least 30 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Mean Salary tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Correctional Officers Average Salary (2021)Prison Spending by State
    r = +0.98 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  2. Police Officer Avg Hourly RatePolice Officer Salary by State
    r = +0.87 · very strong · n = 48
    Plot
  3. Police Officer Avg Annual SalaryPolice Officer Salary by State
    r = +0.87 · very strong · n = 48
    Plot
  4. Average Teacher SalaryBest States for Teachers
    r = +0.85 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  5. RNNursing Pay by State
    r = +0.85 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  6. Average Teacher SalaryTeacher Pay by State
    r = +0.84 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Mean Salary tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Redneck Index ScoreMost Redneck States in America
    r = −0.78 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  2. Walmarts per 1 Million PopulationWalmart Stores by State
    r = −0.77 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  3. Affordabillity (WalletHub)Best States to Live InA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.74 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  4. Affordability RankQuality of Life by StateA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.73 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  5. Maternal Mortality Total Deaths (2019-2023)Maternal Mortality Rate by State
    r = −0.73 · very strong · n = 39
    Plot
  6. Infant Mortality RateInfant Mortality Rate by State
    r = −0.73 · very strong · n = 48
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Mean Salary?
California has the highest Mean Salary in 2023, at $88,550, followed by New Jersey ($81,900) and Massachusetts ($77,260).
Which state has the lowest Mean Salary?
Mississippi has the lowest Mean Salary in 2023, at $37,000.
What is the median Mean Salary across US states?
The median is $52,030 across the 49 US states with data in 2023.
Where does this correctional officer salary by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Highest-paying States for Correctional Officers and Jailers - USA Wage; Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - US Bureau of Labor Statistics; Occupational Employment and Wages May 2023 - US Bureau of Labor Statistics.