Custodial officer vs detention officer

The differences between custodial officers and detention 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 $40,087 average annual salary of a detention officer.

The top three skills for a custodial officer include emergency calls, security checks and law enforcement. The most important skills for a detention officer are detention facility, direct supervision, and booking.

Custodial officer vs detention officer overview

	Custodial Officer	Detention Officer
Yearly salary	$42,867	$40,087
Hourly rate	$20.61	$19.27
Growth rate	-10%	-10%
Number of jobs	101,579	116,529
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age	40	40
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 detention officer do?

The role of detention officers is to supervise inmates in state detention facilities. They are responsible for ensuring the safe imprisonment of detainees, managing conflict between detainees, and reporting inappropriate behavior to the warden. Other responsibilities include providing inmates the opportunity to call a lawyer or a relative, performing periodic patrol of the jail area, and supervising inmates during meals and related activities. They are also responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of personal and cell equipment and distributing medicines to inmates as directed.

Custodial officer vs detention officer salary

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

	Custodial Officer	Detention Officer
Average salary	$42,867	$40,087
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $58,000	Between $29,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	Hawaii
Best paying company	Wellpath	Bering Straits
Best paying industry	Government	Insurance

Differences between custodial officer and detention officer education

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

	Custodial Officer	Detention Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Custodial officer vs detention officer demographics

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

	Custodial Officer	Detention Officer
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8%	Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0%
Race ratio	Black 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, 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 custodial officer and detention 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.

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.

Custodial officer vs detention officer skills

Common custodial officer skills

Emergency Calls, 23%
Security Checks, 16%
Law Enforcement, 12%
Communication Systems, 10%
Booking, 7%
Public Safety, 7%

Common detention officer skills

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

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Custodial Officer
Custodial Officer vs Detention Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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