How to hire a detention officer

How to hire a detention officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step detention officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a detention officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new detention officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a detention officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The detention officer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a detention officer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a detention officer that fits the bill.

   This list presents detention officer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Detention Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Detention Officer	Correctional officers are responsible for overseeing individuals who have been arrested and are awaiting trial or who have been sentenced to serve time in jail or prison. Bailiffs are law enforcement officers who maintain safety and order in courtrooms.	$13-25
   Deputy	The duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat... Show more	$14-43
   Criminal Investigator	A criminal investigator is a law enforcement professional who endeavors to solve felony crimes. Criminal investigators may work alone or as a member of an investigative team whose goal is to uncover the certainty of a case and potentially keep suspects to prevent the ensuing criminal activity... Show more	$16-40

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Detention Facility
   • Direct Supervision
   • Booking
   • Law Enforcement
   • CPR
   • Security Checks
   • Emergency Situations
   • Incident Reports
   • Head Counts
   • Control Room
   • Defensive Tactics
   • Alertness
   • Jail Facility
   • County Jail

   Check all skills

   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.

   More detention officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the detention officer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A detention officer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a detention officer in Georgia may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level detention officer. Additionally, a detention officer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average detention officer salary

   $40,087yearly

   $19.27 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level detention officer salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average detention officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$53,386	$26
   2	New York	$49,987	$24
   3	Maryland	$45,542	$22
   4	Arizona	$44,420	$21
   5	Colorado	$43,189	$21
   6	Iowa	$41,069	$20
   7	Michigan	$38,704	$19
   8	Texas	$37,745	$18
   9	New Mexico	$36,824	$18
   10	North Carolina	$34,711	$17
   11	Oklahoma	$32,537	$16
   12	Florida	$32,194	$15
   13	Georgia	$30,961	$15

   Average detention officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bering Straits	$54,715	$26.31	36
   2	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	$48,354	$23.25
   3	Harnett County	$45,828	$22.03	1
   4	Fort Bend County	$45,528	$21.89	7
   5	Wake County	$44,485	$21.39	1
   6	Inter-Con Security Systems	$44,428	$21.36	285
   7	Forsyth County	$43,671	$21.00	2
   8	Lake County	$42,187	$20.28	9
   9	Allied Universal	$41,863	$20.13
   10	Edmond Oklahoma	$41,818	$20.10	4
   11	NANA	$41,799	$20.10	67
   12	G4s Secure Solutions International Inc.	$41,755	$20.07
   13	Coconino Community College	$41,052	$19.74	4
   14	Rockingham County	$40,876	$19.65	4
   15	Artesia	$40,754	$19.59
   16	County of Yolo	$40,668	$19.55	7
   17	Maricopa County	$40,629	$19.53	8
   18	Henry County	$40,579	$19.51	2
   19	G4S	$40,554	$19.50	16
   20	Management & Training	$40,489	$19.47	42

4. Writing a detention officer job description

   A detention officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a detention officer job description:

   Detention officer job description example

   Polk County Local Government, county-seat Columbus, North Carolina is presently accepting applications for Detention Officers to work in the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center.
   
   Polk County Local Government offers a $1,000.00 sign-on bonus for all full-time and part-time regular new hires.
   Ready to Apply?
   CHECK OUT THE FULL JOB DESCRIPTION – JOB OPENINGS www.polknc.org IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR EMPLOYMENT, ALL APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT A POLK COUNTY LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOUND OUR OUR NEOGOV JOB POSTINGS PAGE. Resumes welcome in addition to application. General Statement of Duties
   Under general supervision, Detention officers perform intermediate protective service work for ensuring the safety, detention, and security of inmates in the County Detention Facility. Detention officer’s work with and around inmates. There are elements of personal danger, situational awareness, professional discipline and teamwork. Detention officers are required to perform all related work and collateral duties as assigned. Reports to the Detention Facility Lieutenant and/or other senior officers. Minimum Requirements and Experience High School Graduate or High School Equivalency certificate.
   Must be a minimum of 21 years in age.
   Successful pre-employment drug screen.
   Successful criminal background check.
   Successful pre-employment physical. Physical Demands
   Very heavy work requiring the exertion of up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or in excess of 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Work requires climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, and feeling. Vocal communications are required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken word, conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly, or quickly. Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels, and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound. Visual acuity is required for depth perception, color perception, peripheral vision, preparing and analyzing written or computer data, visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, determining accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities. Workers are subject to inside and outside environmental conditions, noise, vibration, and atmospheric conditions. Workers may be required to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus. Workers may be exposed to blood borne pathogens and may be required to wear or use specialized personal protective equipment. Special Requirements
   Certificated as a Jailer by the State of North Carolina in accordance with the North Carolina Sheriff’s Training and Standards Commission within one (1) year of employment. Must meet and maintain minimum qualifications for the position established by the Sheriff’s Office (as defined in the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Standardized Training Requirements) and the State of North Carolina. Certified in CPR, Advanced First Aid, and Fire Extinguishers. Levels of Certification: Detention Officer I - Non-certified officer. (Trainee) Entry level with no experience. Detention Officer II - Possession of a Jailer Certificate. Detention Officer III - Possession of a Jailer Certificate. Three years of experience and Possession of four specialty classes.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find detention officers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any detention officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level detention officers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your detention officer job on Zippia to find and recruit detention officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit detention officers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new detention officer

   Once you've found the detention officer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a detention officer?