Jail officer demographics and statistics in the US
Jail officer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates jail officer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our jail 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 jail officers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 6,232 jail officers currently employed in the United States.
- 35.2% of all jail officers are women, while 64.8% are men.
- The average jail officer age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of jail officers is White (60.4%), followed by Black or African American (17.1%), Hispanic or Latino (14.4%) and Unknown (5.2%).
- In 2022, women earned 91% of what men earned.
- 6% of all jail officers are LGBT.
- Jail officers are 73% more likely to work at government companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Jail officer demographics by:
Jail officer gender statistics
35.2% of jail officers are women and 64.8% of jail officers are men.
- Male, 64.8%
- Female, 35.2%
Jail officer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 64.8% |
| Female | 35.2% |
Jail officer gender pay gap
Women earn 91¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$41,259
Female income
$37,735
Jail officer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in jail officer positions over time. Currently, 35.2% of jail officers are female.
Jail officer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.46% | 36.54% |
| 2011 | 64.14% | 35.86% |
| 2012 | 64.46% | 35.54% |
| 2013 | 65.21% | 34.79% |
| 2014 | 66.75% | 33.25% |
| 2015 | 64.61% | 35.39% |
| 2016 | 65.48% | 34.52% |
| 2017 | 63.73% | 36.27% |
| 2018 | 65.86% | 34.14% |
| 2019 | 64.63% | 35.37% |
| 2020 | 65.28% | 34.72% |
| 2021 | 64.77% | 35.23% |
Jail officer related jobs gender ratio
We compared jail 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% |
| Jail Officer | 65% | 35% |
| 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%
Jail officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among jail officers is White, which makes up 60.4% of all jail officers. Comparatively, 17.1% of jail officers are Black or African American and 14.4% of jail officers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 60.4%
- Black or African American, 17.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 14.4%
- Unknown, 5.2%
- Asian, 2.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Jail officer race
| Jail officer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 60.4% |
| Black or African American | 17.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.4% |
| Unknown | 5.2% |
| Asian | 2.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Jail officer race and ethnicity over time
See how jail officer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Jail officer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.55% | 18.17% | 1.01% | 11.04% |
| 2011 | 66.43% | 18.63% | 0.92% | 11.18% |
| 2012 | 67.24% | 18.40% | 1.53% | 9.93% |
| 2013 | 66.50% | 18.20% | 1.21% | 11.04% |
| 2014 | 66.14% | 18.96% | 1.04% | 10.92% |
| 2015 | 65.83% | 17.73% | 1.11% | 12.53% |
| 2016 | 66.32% | 16.75% | 1.48% | 12.86% |
| 2017 | 65.41% | 16.87% | 1.21% | 13.44% |
| 2018 | 64.45% | 16.93% | 1.63% | 13.76% |
| 2019 | 65.80% | 16.98% | 1.49% | 13.00% |
| 2020 | 63.84% | 15.09% | 1.40% | 13.60% |
| 2021 | 60.36% | 17.11% | 2.01% | 14.38% |
Jail officer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian jail officers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american jail officers have the lowest average salary at $39,271.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $40,717 |
| White | $41,863 |
| Black or African American | $39,271 |
| Asian | $42,279 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $42,244 |
Average jail officer age
See how the average age of jail officers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Jail 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 |
Jail officer age breakdown
The average age of jail officers is 40+ years years old, representing 50% of the jail officer population.
Jail officer age breakdown
| Jail Officer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 50% |
| 30-40 years | 30% |
| 20-30 years | 19% |
Jail officer educational attainment
The most common degree for jail officers is high school diploma, with 29% of jail officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 28% and bachelor's degree degree at 26%.
- High School Diploma, 29%
- Bachelor's, 28%
- Associate, 26%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Jail officers by degree level
| Jail officer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 29% |
| Bachelor's | 28% |
| Associate | 26% |
| Diploma | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Jail officer jobs you might like
Jail officer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, jail officers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $43,638 annually. With a Associate degree, jail officers earn a median annual income of $42,460 compared to $40,462 for jail officers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,462 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,638 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,460 |
Jail officer employment statistics
Most jail officers work for a government in the government industry.
Company size where jail officers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where jail officers work.
Jail officer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 25% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 46% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 6% |
| > 10,000 employees | 3% |
Jail officer jobs by company type
Employees with the jail officer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most jail officers prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
Jail officer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 1% |
| Private | 25% |
| Government | 73% |
Jail officer jobs by industry
The most common industries for jail officers are government, health care and utilities.
Jail officer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 67% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Utilities | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Automotive | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Jail officer turnover and employment statistics
Jail officer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for jail officers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Jail officer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Jail 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 jail officer tenure
The average jail officer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,178 jail officers resumes in Zippia's database.
Jail officer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 25% |
| 1-2 years | 28% |
| 3-4 years | 18% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Jail officer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of jail 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jail Officer | 5.55% | - |
| First Officer | 7.15% | 89,899 |
| Burglary Investigator | 8.65% | 4,427 |
| City Bailiff | 11.11% | 5,122 |
Similar jail officer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| First Officer | 7.15% | 89,899 |
| Burglary Investigator | 8.65% | 4,427 |
| City Bailiff | 11.11% | 5,122 |
Foreign languages spoken by jail officers
The most common foreign language among jail officers is Spanish at 71.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.3% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 7.1%.
- Spanish, 71.4%
- French, 14.3%
- Arabic, 7.1%
- Vietnamese, 7.1%
Jail officer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 71.4% |
| French | 14.3% |
| Arabic | 7.1% |
| Vietnamese | 7.1% |
