Jail Officer Education Requirements And Courses

Jail officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Usually, jail officers don't need a college education. The most common degree for jail officers is high school diploma with 29% graduates, with only 28% jail officer graduates earning bachelor's degree. Jail officers who decided to graduate from college often finish Virginia State University or Vincennes University. Some good skills to have in this position include booking, security checks and security procedures.

What education do you need to become a jail officer?

What degree do you need to be a jail officer?

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%

What should I major in to become a jail officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a jail officer. 49% of jail officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a jail officer include business and general studies.

Criminal Justice, 49%

Business, 13%

General Studies, 7%

Law Enforcement, 5%

Other Majors, 26%

Best majors for jail officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	48.5%
2	Business	13.4%
3	General Studies	6.9%
4	Law Enforcement	5.4%
5	Psychology	3.7%

Show more common jail officer majors

20 best online courses for jail officers

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Average jail officer salary by education level

According to our data, jail officers with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $43,638 annually. Jail officers with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $42,460.

Jail officer education level	Jail officer salary
High School Diploma or Less	$40,462
Bachelor's Degree	$43,638
Some College/ Associate Degree	$42,460