Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
Also called: Correctional Counselor, Juvenile Probation Officer, Parole Officer (PO), Probation OfficerProvide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.
On a phone, press and hold a picture to save it to Photos.
opens your phone's share sheet, where you can save both to Photos
What the data says: AI could halve the time on 13 of its 21 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 3.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 0.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 97% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.4.3 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,050 | $49,000 to $74,290 | 1,080 |
| Alaska | $77,000 | $64,710 to $96,480 | 480 |
| Arizona | $60,910 | $52,410 to $68,770 | 1,100 |
| Arkansas | $51,180 | $44,910 to $57,830 | 850 |
| California | $103,640 | $80,300 to $123,540 | 13,900 |
| Colorado | $71,680 | $61,350 to $85,110 | 2,540 |
| Connecticut | $97,350 | $80,870 to $117,410 | 1,200 |
| Delaware | $81,880 | $70,980 to $92,150 | 380 |
| Florida | $50,960 | $44,990 to $58,490 | 4,490 |
| Georgia | $60,270 | $53,950 to $64,710 | 2,650 |
| Hawaii | $73,830 | $63,080 to $79,860 | 40 |
| Idaho | $59,780 | $55,310 to $65,400 | 760 |
| Illinois | $74,390 | $59,510 to $98,390 | 2,590 |
| Indiana | $60,170 | $49,840 to $75,110 | 2,270 |
| Iowa | $77,390 | $62,070 to $83,250 | 950 |
| Kansas | $61,890 | $57,390 to $68,180 | 760 |
| Kentucky | $59,610 | $54,070 to $62,590 | 830 |
| Louisiana | $62,910 | $49,740 to $75,560 | 980 |
| Maine | $71,140 | $58,590 to $71,140 | 160 |
| Maryland | $76,390 | $69,480 to $85,640 | 1,370 |
| Massachusetts | $94,590 | $74,210 to $114,420 | 1,200 |
| Michigan | $79,760 | $64,710 to $83,180 | 2,190 |
| Minnesota | $81,580 | $65,620 to $103,100 | 2,040 |
| Mississippi | $34,110 | $31,010 to $44,180 | 150 |
| Missouri | $46,840 | $46,840 to $47,260 | 2,290 |
| Montana | $59,750 | $57,690 to $61,290 | 360 |
| Nebraska | $63,460 | $50,450 to $74,050 | 560 |
| Nevada | $75,840 | $59,030 to $83,030 | 780 |
| New Jersey | $80,280 | $58,770 to $105,120 | 2,890 |
| New Mexico | $66,000 | $60,010 to $73,920 | 620 |
| New York | $80,350 | $68,510 to $96,160 | 4,360 |
| North Carolina | $62,220 | $51,510 to $66,270 | 3,310 |
| North Dakota | $65,140 | $57,590 to $72,650 | 250 |
| Ohio | $61,120 | $50,860 to $73,690 | 3,310 |
| Oklahoma | $50,380 | $43,930 to $54,700 | 870 |
| Oregon | $84,920 | $71,470 to $100,010 | 1,260 |
| Pennsylvania | $67,370 | $55,220 to $83,280 | 4,310 |
| South Carolina | $56,780 | $53,160 to $65,990 | 460 |
| South Dakota | $66,870 | $61,480 to $75,210 | 280 |
| Tennessee | $58,010 | $51,550 to $62,690 | 2,120 |
| Texas | $52,880 | $48,100 to $63,150 | 8,100 |
| Vermont | $83,820 | $73,670 to $91,120 | 190 |
| Virginia | $58,820 | $49,780 to $66,110 | 2,730 |
| Washington | $82,750 | $76,190 to $94,420 | 2,150 |
| West Virginia | $53,120 | $46,220 to $61,460 | 890 |
| Wyoming | $56,580 | $56,420 to $60,300 | 200 |
Nationally: $66,270. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 13 of its 21 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information. | Not published |
| Not much | Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender. | Not published |
| Not much | Develop liaisons and networks with other parole officers, community agencies, correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, and aftercare agencies to plan for helping offenders with life adjustments. | Not published |
| AI alone | Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders. | Not published |
| AI alone | Write reports describing offenders' progress. | Not published |
See all 21 tasks
| Not much | Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans. | Not published |
| Not much | Administer drug and alcohol tests, including random drug screens of offenders, to verify compliance with substance abuse treatment programs. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school. | Not published |
| AI alone | Inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide offenders or inmates with assistance in matters concerning detainers, sentences in other jurisdictions, writs, and applications for social assistance. | Not published |
| AI alone | Develop and prepare packets containing information about social service agencies, assistance organizations, and programs that might be useful for inmates or offenders. | Not published |
| AI + software | Conduct prehearing and presentencing investigations and testify in court regarding offenders' backgrounds and recommended sentences and sentencing conditions. | Not published |
| Not much | Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure. | Not published |
| AI alone | Arrange for postrelease services, such as employment, housing, counseling, education, and social activities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Participate in decisions about whether cases should go before courts and which court should hear them. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Develop rehabilitation programs for assigned offenders or inmates, establishing rules of conduct, goals, and objectives. | Not published |
| AI alone | Identify and approve work placements for offenders with community service sentences. | Not published |
| AI + software | Recommend appropriate penitentiary for initial placement of an offender. | Not published |
| Not much | Assess the suitability of penitentiary inmates for release under parole and statutory release programs and submit recommendations to parole boards. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 21 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 21 tasks fall under 16 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #12 Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
- #20 Present research or technical information
- #24 Assist others to access additional services or resources
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assist others to access additional services or resources | |||
| Advise others on legal or regulatory matters | |||
| Present research or technical information | |||
| Investigate criminal or legal matters | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Provide support or encouragement to others | |||
| Assess living, work, or social needs or status of individuals or communities | |||
| Develop professional relationships or networks |
Show all 16 activities
| Counsel others about personal matters | |||
| Interview people to obtain information | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Collect information about patients or clients | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Develop public or community health programs | |||
| Administer diagnostic tests to assess patient health |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation42%
- A document or report12%
- A plan or strategy12%
- An analysis or summary10%
- An explanation or answer10%
How they worked with Claude
48% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 18,633 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 6%
- 3 Security Guards Moderate +0.9% 3%
- 4 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 3%
- 5 Mental Health Counselors 2%
Where people moved in from
of 16,992 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Correctional Officers and Jailers Moderate -7.4% 4%
- 3 Security Guards Moderate +0.9% 4%
- 4 Mental Health Counselors 3%
- 5 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 1% high school
- 2% postsecondary certificate
- 2% some college
- 5% associate's
- 88% bachelor's
- 2% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 37 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% less than high school
- 5% high school
- 8% some college
- 7% associate's
- 58% bachelor's
- 19% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 810 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Social Work.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
82.3% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 27.3% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 13.6% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 15.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/21-1092.00