Classification officer vs correction officer

The differences between classification officers and correction officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a classification officer has an average salary of $41,484, which is higher than the $39,369 average annual salary of a correction officer.

The top three skills for a classification officer include telephone inquiries, correctional facilities and background checks. The most important skills for a correction officer are public safety, correctional facility, and emergency situations.

Classification officer vs correction officer overview

	Classification Officer	Correction Officer
Yearly salary	$41,484	$39,369
Hourly rate	$19.94	$18.93
Growth rate	-10%	-10%
Number of jobs	80,891	103,383
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	High School Diploma, 30%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

What does a classification officer do?

A Classification Officer interviews, evaluates, and assesses the inmates' needs and risks and makes reliable housing assignments so that the jail can provide a safe environment. They question inmates to discover special needs like disability and more. Besides evaluating known risk factors, these professionals also monitor all risk status changes. They go through jail reports and criminal history records relating to the inmates' past safety concerns and behavior. Furthermore, Classification Officers keep accurate records for classification systems, monitoring, and proper documentation.

What does a correction officer do?

A correction officer is responsible for monitoring the daily activities of individuals serving time in prison, enforcing the standard rules and regulatory procedures to maintain safety and security within the premises. Correction officers' duties include searching for restricted items, inspecting the facilities' condition, observing unusual and suspicious behaviors, generating incident reports, and providing assistance during counseling and trial schedules. Correction officers must be highly knowledgeable of legal regulations. They must also cooperate with court procedures for any investigations within their place of work.

Classification officer vs correction officer salary

Classification officers and correction officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Classification Officer	Correction Officer
Average salary	$41,484	$39,369
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $69,000	Between $28,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	New York	Hawaii
Best paying company	ABB	Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company
Best paying industry	Energy	Government

Differences between classification officer and correction officer education

There are a few differences between a classification officer and a correction officer in terms of educational background:

	Classification Officer	Correction Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	High School Diploma, 30%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Classification officer vs correction officer demographics

Here are the differences between classification officers' and correction officers' demographics:

	Classification Officer	Correction Officer
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5%	Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 16.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between classification officer and correction officer duties and responsibilities

Classification officer example responsibilities.

Analyze and send release/entry data to CBP via ABI.
Develop a written procedure for associates handling FDA files.
Balance and report daily inmate count for the correctional facility.
Transmit accurate FDA information with and without FDA prior notice.
Retrieve cmis agendas & process call-outs on Monday for Thursday committee.
Organize and prioritize FTA requests provide by client and shipment reports.

Correction officer example responsibilities.

Manage behavior modification and offender restoration rehabilitation.
Implement defensive tactics and physical restraints to maintain the safety and security of the general public.
Conduct NCIC background reports on all new inmates within the facility.
Collect felony DNA enter finger prints into live scan for NCIC.
finger prints and background information and placement in to the pod )
Feed, book-in inmates, control movement and supervise medical treatment.

Classification officer vs correction officer skills

Common classification officer skills

Telephone Inquiries, 20%
Correctional Facilities, 9%
Background Checks, 9%
Mental Health, 8%
Classification System, 7%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%

Common correction officer skills

Public Safety, 27%
Correctional Facility, 11%
Emergency Situations, 9%
Security Checks, 5%
Incident Reports, 5%
CPR, 5%

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Classification Officer
Classification Officer vs Correction Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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