Code enforcement officer vs correction officer

The differences between code enforcement officers and correction officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a code enforcement officer has an average salary of $40,706, which is higher than the $39,369 average annual salary of a correction officer.

The top three skills for a code enforcement officer include patrol, public safety and community development. The most important skills for a correction officer are public safety, correctional facility, and emergency situations.

Code enforcement officer vs correction officer overview

	Code Enforcement Officer	Correction Officer
Yearly salary	$40,706	$39,369
Hourly rate	$19.57	$18.93
Growth rate	3%	-10%
Number of jobs	104,295	103,383
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	High School Diploma, 30%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

What does a code enforcement officer do?

Code enforcement officers are professionals who work for the government to ensure that properties within their jurisdiction are following the zoning laws and building ordinances of a city, town, or county. These officers are required to inspect properties and record violations as part of their regular assessment or in response to complaints. They must explain to property owners about building codes and zoning laws so that they can avoid confusion and increase awareness of all violations. Code enforcement officers must also keep records of case violations and complaints while submitting the summary reports to their supervisors.

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.

Code enforcement officer vs correction officer salary

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

	Code Enforcement Officer	Correction Officer
Average salary	$40,706	$39,369
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $56,000	Between $28,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	San Rafael, CA	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	Alaska	Hawaii
Best paying company	King County	Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between code enforcement officer and correction officer education

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

	Code Enforcement Officer	Correction Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	High School Diploma, 30%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	-

Code enforcement officer vs correction officer demographics

Here are the differences between code enforcement officers' and correction officers' demographics:

	Code Enforcement Officer	Correction Officer
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7%	Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 3.2% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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	7%	6%

Differences between code enforcement officer and correction officer duties and responsibilities

Code enforcement officer example responsibilities.

Develop and manage firearms training programs, including weapons selection and qualification standards.
Review variance, special use and any land use applications.
Review plans and specifications for zoning, parking and setback requirements.
Enforce city and state ordinances, patrol city for violations against the city building code and animal laws.
Patrol assign areas within the city limits while operating a city vehicle to enforce nuisance and property maintenance codes.
Create simulations for force-on-force firearms training/defensive tactics for customers and train the trainers at Police/Sheriff departments.

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.

Code enforcement officer vs correction officer skills

Common code enforcement officer skills

Patrol, 12%
Public Safety, 7%
Community Development, 5%
Municipal Codes, 4%
Code Compliance, 4%
Plumbing, 4%

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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Code Enforcement Officer vs Correction Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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