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The differences between correction officers and detention officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detention officer has an average salary of $40,087, which is higher than the $39,369 average annual salary of a correction officer.
The top three skills for a correction officer include public safety, correctional facility and emergency situations. The most important skills for a detention officer are detention facility, direct supervision, and booking.
| Correction Officer | Detention Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $39,369 | $40,087 |
| Hourly rate | $18.93 | $19.27 |
| Growth rate | -10% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 103,383 | 116,529 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
The role of detention officers is to supervise inmates in state detention facilities. They are responsible for ensuring the safe imprisonment of detainees, managing conflict between detainees, and reporting inappropriate behavior to the warden. Other responsibilities include providing inmates the opportunity to call a lawyer or a relative, performing periodic patrol of the jail area, and supervising inmates during meals and related activities. They are also responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of personal and cell equipment and distributing medicines to inmates as directed.
Correction officers and detention officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Correction Officer | Detention Officer | |
| Average salary | $39,369 | $40,087 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $54,000 | Between $29,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company | Bering Straits |
| Best paying industry | Government | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a correction officer and a detention officer in terms of educational background:
| Correction Officer | Detention Officer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between correction officers' and detention officers' demographics:
| Correction Officer | Detention Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |