Detention officer demographics and statistics in the US
Detention officer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates detention officer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our detention officer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about detention officers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 49,908 detention officers currently employed in the United States.
- 39.0% of all detention officers are women, while 61.0% are men.
- The average detention officer age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of detention officers is White (56.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (19.4%), Black or African American (15.8%) and Unknown (5.3%).
- Detention officers are most in-demand in Milan, NM.
- The insurance industry is the highest-paying for detention officers.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $53,386, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women detention officers earned 92% of what men earned.
- 6% of all detention officers are LGBT.
- Nevada is the best state for detention officers to live.
- Detention officers are 74% more likely to work at government companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Detention officer demographics by:
Detention officer gender statistics
39.0% of detention officers are women and 61.0% of detention officers are men.
- Male, 61.0%
- Female, 39.0%
Detention officer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 61.0% |
| Female | 39.0% |
Detention officer gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$40,878
Female income
$37,470
Detention officer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in detention officer positions over time. Currently, 39.0% of detention officers are female.
Detention officer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 59.67% | 40.33% |
| 2011 | 60.38% | 39.62% |
| 2012 | 60.71% | 39.29% |
| 2013 | 61.49% | 38.51% |
| 2014 | 63.10% | 36.90% |
| 2015 | 60.87% | 39.13% |
| 2016 | 61.78% | 38.22% |
| 2017 | 59.96% | 40.04% |
| 2018 | 62.18% | 37.82% |
| 2019 | 60.89% | 39.11% |
| 2020 | 61.57% | 38.43% |
| 2021 | 61.04% | 38.96% |
Detention officer related jobs gender ratio
We compared detention officers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, deputy sheriff-k9 handler and fugitive investigator have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Matron | 8% | 92% |
| Deputy Treasurer | 19% | 81% |
| Unemployment Examiner | 29% | 71% |
| Detention Officer | 61% | 39% |
| Town Marshal | 96% | 4% |
| Fugitive Investigator | 97% | 3% |
| Deputy Sheriff-K9 Handler | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Detention officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among detention officers is White, which makes up 56.6% of all detention officers. Comparatively, 19.4% of detention officers are Hispanic or Latino and 15.8% of detention officers are Black or African American.
- White, 56.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 19.4%
- Black or African American, 15.8%
- Unknown, 5.3%
- Asian, 2.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Detention officer race
| Detention officer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 56.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.4% |
| Black or African American | 15.8% |
| Unknown | 5.3% |
| Asian | 2.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Detention officer race and ethnicity over time
See how detention officer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Detention officer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.80% | 16.83% | 1.03% | 16.03% |
| 2011 | 62.68% | 17.29% | 0.94% | 16.18% |
| 2012 | 63.49% | 17.05% | 1.55% | 14.92% |
| 2013 | 62.75% | 16.85% | 1.23% | 16.03% |
| 2014 | 62.40% | 17.61% | 1.06% | 15.92% |
| 2015 | 62.08% | 16.38% | 1.13% | 17.52% |
| 2016 | 62.57% | 15.40% | 1.50% | 17.86% |
| 2017 | 61.67% | 15.53% | 1.23% | 18.43% |
| 2018 | 60.70% | 15.58% | 1.65% | 18.75% |
| 2019 | 62.05% | 15.63% | 1.51% | 17.99% |
| 2020 | 60.10% | 13.75% | 1.42% | 18.59% |
| 2021 | 56.62% | 15.76% | 2.03% | 19.38% |
Detention officer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian detention officers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american detention officers have the lowest average salary at $38,957.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $40,355 |
| White | $41,462 |
| Black or African American | $38,957 |
| Asian | $41,864 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $41,830 |
Average detention officer age
See how the average age of detention officers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Detention officer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 44 | 42 |
| Unknown | 40 | 34 |
| Asian | 41 | 40 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 35 | 39 |
| White | 39 | 40 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 41 |
Detention officer age breakdown
The average age of detention officers is 40+ years years old, representing 50% of the detention officer population.
Detention officer age breakdown
| Detention Officer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 50% |
| 30-40 years | 30% |
| 20-30 years | 19% |
Detention officer educational attainment
The most common degree for detention officers is bachelor's degree, with 37% of detention officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 26% and high school diploma degree at 24%.
- Bachelor's, 37%
- High School Diploma, 26%
- Associate, 24%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 7%
Detention officers by degree level
| Detention officer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 37% |
| High School Diploma | 26% |
| Associate | 24% |
| Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 7% |
Detention officer jobs you might like
Detention officer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, detention officers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $43,175 annually. With a Associate degree, detention officers earn a median annual income of $42,039 compared to $40,108 for detention officers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,108 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,175 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,039 |
Detention officer employment statistics
Most detention officers work for a government in the government industry.
Company size where detention officers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where detention officers work.
Detention officer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 19% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 41% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 16% |
| > 10,000 employees | 7% |
Detention officer jobs by company type
Employees with the detention officer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most detention officers prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
Detention officer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 5% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 20% |
| Government | 74% |
Detention officer jobs by industry
The most common industries for detention officers are government, non profits and education.
Detention officer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 71% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Education | 4% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Utilities | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
Detention officer turnover and employment statistics
Detention officer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for detention officers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Detention officer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Detention officer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.76% |
| 2011 | 3.47% |
| 2012 | 2.86% |
| 2013 | 2.78% |
| 2014 | 2.06% |
| 2015 | 1.74% |
| 2016 | 1.76% |
| 2017 | 2.08% |
| 2018 | 2.10% |
| 2019 | 2.16% |
| 2020 | 1.82% |
| 2021 | 2.53% |
Average detention officer tenure
The average detention officer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 12,775 detention officers resumes in Zippia's database.
Detention officer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 23% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Detention officer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of detention officers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Detention Officer | 5.55% | - |
| Officer Candidate | 7.15% | 55,985 |
| City Detective | 8.65% | 5,645 |
| Deputy Bailiff | 11.11% | 1,804 |
Similar detention officer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Officer Candidate | 7.15% | 55,985 |
| City Detective | 8.65% | 5,645 |
| Deputy Bailiff | 11.11% | 1,804 |
Foreign languages spoken by detention officers
The most common foreign language among detention officers is Spanish at 83.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 3.8% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 1.5%.
- Spanish, 83.5%
- French, 3.8%
- Arabic, 1.5%
- German, 1.2%
- Japanese, 1.2%
- Other, 8.8%
Detention officer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 83.5% |
| French | 3.8% |
| Arabic | 1.5% |
| German | 1.2% |
| Japanese | 1.2% |
| Other | 8.8% |
