Correctional guard vs detention officer

The differences between correctional guards 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 $37,889 average annual salary of a correctional guard.

The top three skills for a correctional guard include facility policy, security checks and emergency situations. The most important skills for a detention officer are detention facility, direct supervision, and booking.

Correctional guard vs detention officer overview

	Correctional Guard	Detention Officer
Yearly salary	$37,889	$40,087
Hourly rate	$18.22	$19.27
Growth rate	-10%	-10%
Number of jobs	18,348	116,529
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Correctional guard vs detention officer salary

Correctional guards and detention officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Correctional Guard	Detention Officer
Average salary	$37,889	$40,087
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $48,000	Between $29,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Bering Straits
Best paying industry	-	Insurance

Differences between correctional guard and detention officer education

There are a few differences between a correctional guard and a detention officer in terms of educational background:

	Correctional Guard	Detention Officer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Correctional guard vs detention officer demographics

Here are the differences between correctional guards' and detention officers' demographics:

	Correctional Guard	Detention Officer
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 68.1% Female, 31.9%	Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 19.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 2.0% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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%

Differences between correctional guard and detention officer duties and responsibilities

Correctional guard example responsibilities.

Aid inmates in their rehabilitation by scheduling work assignments, counseling, and educational opportunities.
Issue weapons and ammunition for transportation officers.

Detention officer example responsibilities.

Train and manage officers of booking, procedures and computer knowledge skills and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Manage booking area and process all non-English speaking detainees; streamline process and reduce confrontational situations through effective communication and leadership.
Maintain certification in CPR, gun qualification, and any specialize training offer.
Ensure that all require KYC documentation is on file before accounts are open.
Review and analyze KYC information on potential clients, brokerage counterparties, etc.
Perform CPR when necessary, and provide the transportation of inmates to the medical facility.

Correctional guard vs detention officer skills

Common correctional guard skills

Facility Policy, 29%
Security Checks, 21%
Emergency Situations, 21%
Clinical Treatment, 17%
CPR, 3%
Vital Signs, 2%

Common detention officer skills

Detention Facility, 14%
Direct Supervision, 13%
Booking, 11%
Law Enforcement, 10%
CPR, 5%
Security Checks, 4%

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Protective Service Industry
Correctional Guard
Correctional Guard vs Detention Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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