Detention deputy vs custodial officer

The differences between detention deputies and custodial officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a detention deputy has an average salary of $47,384, which is higher than the $42,867 average annual salary of a custodial officer.

The top three skills for a detention deputy include transport inmates, booking and CPR. The most important skills for a custodial officer are emergency calls, security checks, and law enforcement.

Detention deputy vs custodial officer overview

	Detention Deputy	Custodial Officer
Yearly salary	$47,384	$42,867
Hourly rate	$22.78	$20.61
Growth rate	-10%	-10%
Number of jobs	4,147	101,579
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Detention deputy vs custodial officer salary

Detention deputies and custodial officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Detention Deputy	Custodial Officer
Average salary	$47,384	$42,867
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $65,000	Between $31,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Washington	New York
Best paying company	Wellpath	Wellpath
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between detention deputy and custodial officer education

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

	Detention Deputy	Custodial Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Detention deputy vs custodial officer demographics

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

	Detention Deputy	Custodial Officer
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0%	Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.0% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between detention deputy and custodial officer duties and responsibilities

Detention deputy example responsibilities.

Train in grind control and self-defense techniques, CPR, ethics and security management.
Oversee all aspects of booking inmates into the jail, including property inventory, pat-down, fingerprinting, and processing daily.
Obtain necessary information and booking of prisoners.
Patrol assign areas for evidence of unauthorize activities, infractions of rules, unsatisfactory attitudes or unsatisfactory adjustment of inmates.
Serve as loader of special ammunition weapon; prepare ammunition while exercising safety precautions.

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 deputy vs custodial officer skills

Common detention deputy skills

Transport Inmates, 14%
Booking, 8%
CPR, 7%
Emergency Situations, 6%
Patrol, 6%
Detention Facility, 6%

Common custodial officer skills

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

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Detention Deputy
Detention Deputy vs Custodial Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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