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What is a bailiff and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a bailiff. For example, did you know that they make an average of $15.94 an hour? That's $33,162 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -10% and produce -42,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreBailiffUS Average
Salary
2.6

Avg. Salary $33,162

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate -10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.04%

Asian 1.56%

Black or African American 13.54%

Hispanic or Latino 9.64%

Unknown 4.69%

White 69.53%

Gender

female 46.52%

male 53.48%

Age - 48
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Bailiff career paths

Key steps to become a bailiff

  1. Explore bailiff education requirements

    Most common bailiff degrees

    Bachelor's

    45.5 %

    Associate

    26.0 %

    High School Diploma

    12.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific bailiff skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Court Dates12.71%
    Law Enforcement11.10%
    Court Proceedings9.67%
    Jury Trials8.85%
    Court Sessions8.81%
  3. Complete relevant bailiff training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New bailiffs learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a bailiff based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real bailiff resumes.
  4. Research bailiff duties and responsibilities

    • Manage prisoner appearances for court including booking and transportation to and from court.
    • Assign to patrol and investigative duties.
    • Handle arrests warrants and booking procedures.
    • Serve subpoenas, summons, and warrants.
  5. Prepare your bailiff resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your bailiff resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a bailiff resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable bailiff resume templates

    Build a professional bailiff resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your bailiff resume.
    Bailiff Resume
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    Bailiff Resume
  6. Apply for bailiff jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a bailiff job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first bailiff job

Zippi

Are you a bailiff?

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Average bailiff salary

The average bailiff salary in the United States is $33,162 per year or $16 per hour. Bailiff salaries range between $23,000 and $46,000 per year.

Average bailiff salary
$33,162 Yearly
$15.94 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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