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First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

Also called: Correctional Officer Captain, Correctional Supervisor

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of correctional officers and jailers.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$77,970
Openings a year BLS, 2025–353,700
Typical education to start BLSHigh school diploma or equivalent
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Moderate
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 -2.5%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 8 of its 23 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 2.5% 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, 2.9% 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 100% 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.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 70% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$47k$131knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$80,230$62,120 to $93,080470
Alaska$98,420$88,460 to $111,530300
Arizona$74,840$68,550 to $80,970890
Arkansas$49,590$45,310 to $56,8801,720
California$131,210$125,590 to $144,4004,550
Colorado$81,460$75,350 to $89,810810
Connecticut$89,160$82,490 to $98,950490
Delaware$84,760$79,960 to $93,240240
Florida$55,620$53,390 to $67,2906,480
Georgia$58,640$53,390 to $65,4802,310
Hawaii$97,200$86,910 to $105,35060
Idaho$79,330$70,270 to $94,350160
Illinois$105,450$93,590 to $129,5902,860
Indiana$61,460$55,600 to $73,2301,360
Iowa$74,420$62,080 to $89,780310
Kansas$71,590$66,520 to $82,1401,080
Kentucky$62,780$49,790 to $75,090780
Louisiana$58,960$51,180 to $73,2201,300
Maine$67,750$64,730 to $73,460140
Maryland$79,150$71,130 to $94,0302,010
Massachusetts$105,930$95,500 to $115,300460
Michigan$78,150$75,610 to $85,3601,020
Minnesota$96,720$81,120 to $107,180750
Mississippi$56,470$44,690 to $65,100340
Missouri$46,840$46,840 to $55,8701,090
Montana$74,630$65,250 to $75,200240
Nebraska$80,490$70,370 to $95,440340
Nevada$107,260$98,580 to $125,840190
New Hampshire$85,550$75,440 to $94,460150
New Jersey$117,450$110,690 to $129,6101,340
New Mexico$63,380$57,620 to $76,820530
New York$103,320$88,260 to $121,6003,380
North Carolina$67,270$60,930 to $75,7901,090
North Dakota$73,240$59,770 to $81,130180
Ohio$77,570$64,210 to $94,630600
Oklahoma$56,100$53,270 to $67,760530
Oregon$99,890$99,890 to $112,250610
Pennsylvania$94,600$78,100 to $104,1801,520
South Carolina$77,110$58,720 to $98,790360
South Dakota$77,400$67,470 to $84,04080
Tennessee$74,140$51,640 to $80,150740
Texas$62,590$59,890 to $70,2504,200
Utah$110,410$96,290 to $122,320340
Vermont$81,700$73,670 to $89,34060
Virginia$64,190$57,790 to $80,2602,230
Washington$98,910$92,110 to $106,8701,400
West Virginia$56,490$46,310 to $83,780230
Wisconsin$96,260$77,310 to $104,080800
Wyoming$70,770$66,660 to $81,470110

Nationally: $77,970. 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 8 of its 23 tasks

5 · AI alone could halve the time 3 · AI + software built on it could 15 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
Not much Maintain knowledge of, comply with, and enforce all institutional policies, rules, procedures, and regulations. Not published
Not much Maintain order, discipline, and security within assigned areas in accordance with relevant rules, regulations, policies, and laws. Not published
Not much Supervise and direct the work of correctional officers to ensure the safe custody, discipline, and welfare of inmates. Not published
Not much Respond to emergencies, such as escapes. Not published
AI alone Take, receive, or check periodic inmate counts. Not published
Not much Supervise or perform searches of inmates or their quarters to locate contraband items. Not published
See all 23 tasks
Not much Monitor behavior of subordinates to ensure alert, courteous, and professional behavior toward inmates, parolees, fellow employees, visitors, and the public. Not published
Not much Restrain, secure, or control offenders, using chemical agents, firearms, or other weapons of force as necessary. Not published
AI + software Complete administrative paperwork or supervise the preparation or maintenance of records, forms, or reports. Not published
Not much Instruct employees or provide on-the-job training. Not published
Not much Supervise activities, such as searches, shakedowns, riot control, or institutional tours. Not published
Not much Carry injured offenders or employees to safety and provide emergency first aid when necessary. Not published
Not much Resolve problems between inmates. Not published
AI alone Review offender information to identify issues that require special attention. Not published
AI + software Convey correctional officers' or inmates' complaints to superiors. Not published
AI alone Conduct roll calls of correctional officers. Not published
Not much Transfer or transport offenders on foot or by driving vehicles, such as trailers, vans, or buses. Not published
Not much Conduct evaluations of employees' performance. Not published
AI alone Set up employee work schedules. under 0.01%
AI alone Develop work or security procedures. 0.01%
Not much Supervise or provide security for offenders performing tasks, such as construction, maintenance, laundry, food service, or other industrial or agricultural operations. Not published
AI + software Examine incoming or outgoing mail to ensure conformance with regulations. under 0.01%
Not much Rate behavior of inmates, promoting acceptable attitudes and behaviors to those with low ratings. 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. 3 of the 23 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 23 tasks fall under 19 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.

Tasks AI could speed up8 of 23 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most3 of 19 activities
  • #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
  • #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
  • #37 Determine operational methods or procedures
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
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
Supervise activities in correctional facilities 0tied #331 0tied #327
Maintain safety or security 9.38#93 16#51
Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance 1.94#201 0.78#175
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Intervene in crisis situations or emergencies 1.00#235 0.55#194
Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise 408#4 247#8
Read documents or materials to inform work processes 197#8 47#28
Determine operational methods or procedures 45#37 22#46
Show all 19 activities
Examine materials or documentation for accuracy or compliance 22#53 12#64
Communicate with others about operational plans or activities 9.39#92 28#39
Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities 4.23#140 2.99#113
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Train others on operational or work procedures 1.60#211 29#38
Assign work to others 1.46#215 0.18#247
Monitor safety or security of work areas, facilities, or properties 1.39#218 1.50#142
Operate transportation equipment or vehicles 1.06#232 0.05#282
Mediate disputes 0.70#257 0.36#226
Administer emergency medical treatment 0.27#290 0.02#310
Escort others 0.20#297 0.07#276
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Supervise activities in correctional facilities” holds 2 tasks rated AI alone, yet people asked AI for help with it in 0 of every 10,000 conversations, tied #331 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • A document or report27%
  • A plan or strategy16%
  • A script or snippet8%
  • Data or a spreadsheet7%
  • Configuration or infrastructure7%

How they worked with Claude

59% handed the task off41% worked on it together

78% 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 first-line supervisors of correctional officers 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.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.First-line supervisors of correctional officers: -2.5%First-Line Supervisors of Correctional OfficersAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.First-line supervisors of correctional officers: -2.5%First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

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 6,339 moves out

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
  2. 2 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 5%
  3. 3 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
  4. 4 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives Moderate +3.3% 4%
  5. 5 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers High +3.5% 3%

Where people moved in from

of 5,834 moves in

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
  2. 2 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives Moderate +3.3% 4%
  3. 3 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers High +3.5% 4%
  4. 4 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Very high +0.1% 4%
  5. 5 Correctional Officers and Jailers Moderate -7.4% 4%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 59% high school
  • 5% postsecondary certificate
  • 2% some college
  • 23% associate's
  • 11% bachelor's

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 32 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 2% less than high school
  • 30% high school
  • 29% some college
  • 12% associate's
  • 22% bachelor's
  • 4% master's
  • 1% professional degree

Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 352 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

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
4 programs, such as Criminal Justice and Corrections, General, Corrections and Criminal Justice/Safety Studies.
See all
  • Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
  • Corrections
  • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
  • Corrections Administration

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

84.7% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a license41.8%19.1%
a certification10.0%5.8%
an educational certificate63.7%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

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

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

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