Correctional guard vs senior corrections officer

The differences between correctional guards and senior corrections officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior corrections officer has an average salary of $40,400, 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 senior corrections officer are public safety, patrol, and criminal justice.

Correctional guard vs senior corrections officer overview

	Correctional Guard	Senior Corrections Officer
Yearly salary	$37,889	$40,400
Hourly rate	$18.22	$19.42
Growth rate	-10%	-10%
Number of jobs	18,348	57,316
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Correctional guard vs senior corrections officer salary

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

	Correctional Guard	Senior Corrections Officer
Average salary	$37,889	$40,400
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $48,000	Between $29,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City	-	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	State of West Virginia
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between correctional guard and senior corrections officer education

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

	Correctional Guard	Senior Corrections Officer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Correctional guard vs senior corrections officer demographics

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

	Correctional Guard	Senior Corrections Officer
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 68.1% Female, 31.9%	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%
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, 15.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 2.0% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between correctional guard and senior corrections 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.

Senior corrections officer example responsibilities.

Manage behavior modification and offender restoration rehabilitation.
Provide first aid and CPR as needed, within the scope of receive training.
Arm perimeter surveillance and patrol facility.
Maintain a continuing responsibility in direct regards to foot patrol of the designated facility which require security.
Complete specialized training in firearms proficiency, self-defense, management of medical emergencies, safety management and interpersonal communication skills.
Manage behavior modification and offender restoration rehabilitation.

Correctional guard vs senior corrections officer skills

Common correctional guard skills

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

Common senior corrections officer skills

Public Safety, 16%
Patrol, 14%
Criminal Justice, 8%
Correctional Facility, 7%
Emergency Situations, 6%
Rehabilitation, 5%

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Protective Service Industry
Correctional Guard
Correctional Guard vs Senior Corrections Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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