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Custodial officer vs correction officer

The differences between custodial officers and correction officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a custodial officer has an average salary of $42,867, which is higher than the $39,369 average annual salary of a correction officer.

The top three skills for a custodial officer include emergency calls, security checks and law enforcement. The most important skills for a correction officer are public safety, correctional facility, and emergency situations.

Custodial officer vs correction officer overview

Custodial OfficerCorrection Officer
Yearly salary$42,867$39,369
Hourly rate$20.61$18.93
Growth rate-10%-10%
Number of jobs101,579103,383
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%High School Diploma, 30%
Average age4040
Years of experience--

What does a custodial officer do?

A custodial officer is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of facilities or buildings. They clean areas daily, conduct regular maintenance inspections, replace fixtures, perform basic repairs, rearrange furniture as necessary, and prepare facilities for public or private use. Although their responsibilities vary depending on the organization they work for, they are usually responsible for monitoring supply inventories, purchasing supplies, and reporting to managers. Additionally, they must maintain an open and transparent communication line with staff for an efficient workflow.

What does a correction officer do?

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.

Custodial officer vs correction officer salary

Custodial officers and correction officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Custodial OfficerCorrection Officer
Average salary$42,867$39,369
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $58,000Between $28,000 And $54,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYUrban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying stateNew YorkHawaii
Best paying companyWellpathCareerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company
Best paying industryGovernmentGovernment

Differences between custodial officer and correction officer education

There are a few differences between a custodial officer and a correction officer in terms of educational background:

Custodial OfficerCorrection Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%High School Diploma, 30%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common college--

Custodial officer vs correction officer demographics

Here are the differences between custodial officers' and correction officers' demographics:

Custodial OfficerCorrection Officer
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 63.2% Female, 36.8%Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 15.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 2.0% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%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%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between custodial officer and correction officer duties and responsibilities

Custodial officer example responsibilities.

  • Watch CCTV cameras and control security doors.
  • Conduct rounds, answer phones and monitor the CCTV.
  • Maintain booking and release records, Huber accounts, and property records.
  • Assist officers in the booking of suspects; searching, fingerprinting, transporting.
  • Patrol assign areas for evidence of unauthorize activities, infractions of rules, unsatisfactory attitudes or unsatisfactory adjustment of inmates.
  • Administer basic emergency first aid and cardio pulmonary resuscitation as needed.

Correction officer example responsibilities.

  • Manage behavior modification and offender restoration rehabilitation.
  • Implement defensive tactics and physical restraints to maintain the safety and security of the general public.
  • Conduct NCIC background reports on all new inmates within the facility.
  • Collect felony DNA enter finger prints into live scan for NCIC.
  • finger prints and background information and placement in to the pod )
  • Feed, book-in inmates, control movement and supervise medical treatment.
  • Show more

Custodial officer vs correction officer skills

Common custodial officer skills
  • Emergency Calls, 23%
  • Security Checks, 16%
  • Law Enforcement, 12%
  • Communication Systems, 10%
  • Booking, 7%
  • Public Safety, 7%
Common correction officer skills
  • Public Safety, 27%
  • Correctional Facility, 11%
  • Emergency Situations, 9%
  • Security Checks, 5%
  • Incident Reports, 5%
  • CPR, 5%

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