How to hire a correctional officer captain

How to hire a correctional officer captain, step by step

Here's a step-by-step correctional officer captain hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a correctional officer captain job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new correctional officer captain
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The correctional officer captain hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A correctional officer captain's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, correctional officers captain from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents correctional officer captain salaries for various positions.

   Type of Correctional Officer Captain	Description	Hourly rate
   Correctional Officer Captain		$15-25
   Captain	Captains oversee the entire operations of a sea vessel, usually ships. Their main responsibility is to ensure that the vessel safely travels from point A to point B... Show more	$14-40
   Officer	An officer is responsible for managing the daily operations of the assigned area, ensuring its peace and security by monitoring and reporting unusual and suspicious activities. Officers are the ones enforcing strict safety protocols and procedures to maintain the order within the premises... Show more	$12-49

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Public Safety
   • Security Procedures
   • Criminal Justice
   • CPR
   • Correctional Facility
   • Emergency Situations
   • Departmental Policies
   • Restraints
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Emergency Response
   • Performance Evaluations
   • Security Operations
   • Level Supervisors
   • Incident Reports

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead a platoon that earn numerous awards for jamming opposition force artillery nets and conducting counterattacks on opposition electronic warfare platoons.
   • Used force and deadly force to include the use of chemical agents and firearms to control offenders.
   • Direct the installation, operation and maintenance of military radio and telecommunications assets for combat infantry units and fix telephone facilities.
   • Ensure all ammunition are accounted for upon issuing/receiving from assign officers.

   More correctional officer captain duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your correctional officer captain job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A correctional officer captain salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, correctional officers captain' average salary in wyoming is 47% less than in maine.
   • Seniority. Entry-level correctional officers captain earn 37% less than senior-level correctional officers captain.
   • Certifications. A correctional officer captain with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a correctional officer captain's salary.

   Average correctional officer captain salary

   $42,022yearly

   $20.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level correctional officer captain salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average correctional officer captain salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Nebraska	$37,817	$18
   2	Kentucky	$37,475	$18
   3	Florida	$33,898	$16
   4	Indiana	$31,872	$15

   Average correctional officer captain salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	NC.gov	$40,406	$19.43	107
   2	State of West Virginia	$40,191	$19.32	29
   3	Indiana State Police	$39,705	$19.09	36
   4	My Florida Regional Mls	$39,638	$19.06
   5	Wyoming	$39,543	$19.01	15
   6	Maine	$39,225	$18.86	11
   7	Florida Dept. of Health	$38,739	$18.62
   8	Management & Training	$38,554	$18.54	21
   9	State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia	$38,524	$18.52	95
   10	State of Ohio	$38,427	$18.47	44
   11	S.C. Department of Commerce	$38,322	$18.42
   12	State Of Florida	$37,783	$18.16	179
   13	Florida Department of Transportation	$37,160	$17.87

4. Writing a correctional officer captain job description

   A job description for a correctional officer captain role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a correctional officer captain job description:

   Correctional officer captain job description example

   Positively impact the lives of youth in the care of the Department of Juvenile Justice through the collaborative creation and maintenance of a safe, therapeutic, and educational environment in facilities. Provide support, guidance, and structure for our detained youth by modeling, encouraging, and reinforcing pro-social behaviors to include patience, empathy, cooperation, professionalism, and respect. Directs subordinate supervisors and staff.
   
   * Assumes responsibility for the custody, security, and care of youth through adherence to policies and standard operating procedures governing the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.
   * Provides staff oversight during youth transfers from one facility to another.
   * Maintains order and discipline by intervening with youth through active supervision and controlling inappropriate youth behavior to maintain a safe and secure environment.
   * Ensures the provision of direct support, guidance, and structure for detained youth with an emphasis on safety, personal conduct, care, and rehabilitation.
   * Supervises assigned staff and ensures conformity with department policies and procedures.
   * Manages and directs administrative and human resource activities of subordinate staff. Implements applicable emergency plans and procedures.
   * Provides oversight to subordinate staff in handling of contraband, coordinating youth activities, and head count procedures.
   * Ensures that laws, policies, rules, and regulations are adhered to for the safety and security of youth and staff.
   * Supervises contraband searches and inspections, inventories, maintains physical control of logs, keys, tools, weapons, and related equipment.
   * Maintains knowledge of, complies with, and enforces all facility policies, rules, procedures, and regulations.
   
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   High school diploma or GED AND current and valid Georgia P.O.S.T. certification AND Two years of experience at a level equivalent to a supervisory law enforcement position OR
   
   One year of experience required at the lower-level Juvenile Correctional Lieutenant (PSP223) or position equivalent.
   
   Must have valid Driver License.
   
   Military Salary Increase Incentive Amount:
   
   * 2.5% for one year of active-duty service
   * 5% for two years of active-duty service
   * 7.5% for three years of active-duty service
   * 10% for 4+ years of active-duty service
   
   THIS IS AN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
   
   THIS IS AN UNCLASSIFIED POSITION.
   
   THE SELECTED APPLICANT FOR THE POSITION WILL BE SUBJECT TO A REFERENCE CHECK, PHYSICAL AND CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK, WHERE APPLICABLE.
   
   PLEASE INCLUDE ALL RELEVANT JOB INFORMATION ON THE APPLICATION FOR CONSIDERATION. ALL APPLICATIONS WILL BE PRESCREENED.
   
   DJJ IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
   
   High school diploma or GED AND current and valid Georgia P.O.S.T. certification AND Two years of experience at a level equivalent to a supervisory law enforcement position OR One year of experience required at the lower level Juvenile Correctional Lieutenant (PSP223) or position equivalent. Must have valid Driver License.
   
   Additional Information
   
   * Number of Openings: 1
   * Advertised Salary: $51,627.00
   * Shift: Day Job

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right correctional officer captain for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your correctional officer captain job on Zippia to find and recruit correctional officer captain candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit correctional officers captain, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new correctional officer captain

   Once you've found the correctional officer captain candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new correctional officer captain. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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