Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between deputy sheriffs and correction officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a deputy sheriff has an average salary of $50,143, which is higher than the $39,369 average annual salary of a correction officer.
The top three skills for a deputy sheriff include patrol, public safety and transport inmates. The most important skills for a correction officer are public safety, correctional facility, and emergency situations.
| Deputy Sheriff | Correction Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $50,143 | $39,369 |
| Hourly rate | $24.11 | $18.93 |
| Growth rate | 3% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 65,303 | 103,383 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A deputy sheriff is a law enforcement officer who serves the public by preventing and intervening crimes at a particular county, including multiple small towns and several larger cities. Deputy Sheriffs are first responders to emergencies such as criminal activities, vehicle accidents, weather incidents, and medical emergencies. They are present in courthouses to guard courtrooms and inmates who are transported from prisons. As law enforcers, they are also required to have an understanding of the laws of their jurisdiction.
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.
Deputy sheriffs and correction officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Deputy Sheriff | Correction Officer | |
| Average salary | $50,143 | $39,369 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $70,000 | Between $28,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Moody's | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a deputy sheriff and a correction officer in terms of educational background:
| Deputy Sheriff | Correction Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | - |
Here are the differences between deputy sheriffs' and correction officers' demographics:
| Deputy Sheriff | Correction Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 3.3% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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 Percentage | 7% | 6% |