Correctional institutions employ custodial officers to supervise inmates in detention facilities. They are there to provide care and correctional treatment for inmates, manage the spaces of the facility, and ensure that the inmates stay in custody.
Working in this position, you will escort inmates from one secured area to another, acting according to the policies and legal regulations applying to practices in the facility. It will be your responsibility to upkeep the level of security, search inmates and visitors, and check mail and cells for weapons, drugs, and other illegal items.
You will have to document and report incidents and enforce rules governing the security of the facility. A high school diploma and relevant training qualifications prescribed by the state and the institution you work for will be necessary to take on this position. You will need to be patient and alert, decisive, and level-headed to hold this position with success. Great communication and negotiation skills are also essential, along with an affinity for solving problems.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a Custodial Officer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $23.42 an hour? That's $48,713 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -7% and produce -31,500 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many Custodial Officers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed Detail oriented, Interpersonal skills and Physical strength.
If you're interested in becoming a Custodial Officer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 36.1% of Custodial Officers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 5.5% of Custodial Officers have master's degrees. Even though some Custodial Officers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a Custodial Officer. When we researched the most common majors for a Custodial Officer, we found that they most commonly earn Bachelor's Degree degrees or Associate Degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on Custodial Officer resumes include High School Diploma degrees or Diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a Custodial Officer. In fact, many Custodial Officer jobs require experience in a role such as Correction Officer. Meanwhile, many Custodial Officers also have previous career experience in roles such as Security Officer or Security Guard.