How to hire a juvenile probation officer

How to hire a juvenile probation officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step juvenile probation 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 juvenile probation officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new juvenile probation officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a juvenile probation officer do?

Post a juvenile probation officer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The juvenile probation 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

   A juvenile probation officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, juvenile probation officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents juvenile probation officer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Juvenile Probation Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Juvenile Probation Officer	Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists monitor and work with probationers to prevent them from committing new crimes.	$14-34
   Child Protective Investigator	A child protective investigator is responsible for investigating incident reports for child-violating cases, collecting court evidence of child abuse, and keeping the child under safe custody for protection. Child protective investigators conduct field investigations by locating the area of concern, interviewing witnesses, and analyzing similar cases of violence... Show more	$17-29
   Probation And Parole Officer	A probation and parole officer is responsible for monitoring the activities and behavior of a probationary or paroled offender outside the prison, making sure they never commit crimes again or return to the life of crime. Part of their job is to study the offenders' criminal history, develop and recommend rehabilitation and treatment plans, coordinate other services, and ensure that the offender knows the conditions of their release... Show more	$14-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Mental Health
   • Social Work
   • Rehabilitation
   • Substance Abuse
   • Court Orders
   • Competency Development
   • Community Resources
   • Community Services
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Juvenile Offenders
   • Intake Interviews
   • Law Enforcement Agencies
   • Court Reports
   • Juvenile Cases

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage significant DUI caseload to court-ordered and conditional probation completion.
   • Provide case management, treatment, supervision, counseling and rehabilitation of both adjudicate and non-adjudicate juvenile offenders in various settings.
   • Facilitate physicals restraint courses and CPR training classes.
   • Complete training in CPR, first aid, and physical restraint techniques.
   • Supervise offenders on probation and parole, complete social histories/assessments/investigations for the sentencing court or parole board, case management.
   • Administer random urinalysis on an as needed basis.

   More juvenile probation officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your juvenile probation officer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A juvenile probation officer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a juvenile probation officer in South Carolina may be lower than in California, and an entry-level juvenile probation officer usually earns less than a senior-level juvenile probation officer. Additionally, a juvenile probation officer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average juvenile probation officer salary

   $46,765yearly

   $22.48 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level juvenile probation officer salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 28, 2025

   Average juvenile probation officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Nevada	$63,655	$31
   2	Alaska	$61,165	$29
   3	Massachusetts	$55,760	$27
   4	Arizona	$52,503	$25
   5	Minnesota	$50,250	$24
   6	Illinois	$49,500	$24
   7	Nebraska	$42,390	$20
   8	Texas	$40,628	$20
   9	Oregon	$39,936	$19
   10	Idaho	$39,727	$19
   11	Florida	$39,341	$19
   12	Indiana	$35,679	$17
   13	Georgia	$32,854	$16

   Average juvenile probation officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Clark County	$53,199	$25.58	4
   2	Lake County	$52,431	$25.21	12
   3	Williamson County	$51,714	$24.86	2
   4	Fort Bend County	$51,198	$24.61	5
   5	Travis County	$50,777	$24.41	3
   6	Steele County Free Fair	$50,667	$24.36
   7	Alaska State Library	$49,753	$23.92	18
   8	My Florida Regional Mls	$47,764	$22.96
   9	Maricopa County	$44,948	$21.61	5
   10	Nueces County	$44,879	$21.58	3
   11	The State of Oregon	$43,960	$21.13	3
   12	Florida Department of Transportation	$43,393	$20.86
   13	State Of Florida	$43,351	$20.84	226
   14	Tarrant County	$43,215	$20.78
   15	Bell County	$42,632	$20.50	3
   16	Fulton County Government Center	$42,269	$20.32	2
   17	Florida Dept. of Health	$42,099	$20.24
   18	State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia	$37,600	$18.08	58

4. Writing a juvenile probation officer job description

   A good juvenile probation officer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a juvenile probation officer job description:

   Juvenile probation officer job description example

   Under general supervision, provides social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation. Makes recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of youth, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.
   
   * Interview youth offender regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
   
   * Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to non-compliance with terms of probation or parole.
   
   * Administer drug and alcohol tests, including random drug screens of youth offenders, to verify compliance with substance abuse treatment programs.
   * Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned youth offender.
   * Discuss with youth offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played a role in their criminal behavior.
   * Conduct pre-hearing and pre-screening investigations and testify in court regarding offenders' backgrounds and recommend sentences and sentencing conditions.
   * Inform youth offenders of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations.
   * Write reports describing youth offenders' progress.
   * Investigate legal issues.
   * Write reports or evaluations. Counsel clients or patients with substance abuse issues.
   * Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.
   * Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of youth offenders by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.
   
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   * Bachelor's degree in a related field from an accredited college or university
   * OR Two years of experience at the lower level Juv. Probation/Parole Spec 1 (SSP130) or position equivalent.
   
   PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   Preference will be given to applicants who, in addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, possess two or more of the following:
   
   * Completion of an undergraduate degree with a major in one of the following areas: Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice, Social Work, Education or a directly related field.
   * Two (2) or more years of direct case management experience working with offenders and families in human services delivery setting.
   * Three (3) years or more of experience at the lower level equivalent.
   * This position is eligible for a Military Incentive. This incentive is for current/former service members who have served on active duty
   
   THIS POSITION IS NOT LOCATED IN THE AUGUSTA, GA AREA OR NEAR EVANS, GA. IT IS LOCATED IN CLAXTON, GA WHICH IS IN SE GEORGIA NEAR STATESBORO AND VIDALIA AREA.
   
   THIS IS AN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
   
   THIS IS AN UNCLASSIFIED POSITION.
   
   THE SELECTED APPLICANT FOR THE POSITION WILL BE SUBJECT TO A REFERENCE CHECK AND CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK, WHERE APPLICABLE.
   
   PLEASE INCLUDE ALL RELEVANT JOB INFORMATION ON THE APPLICATION FOR CONSIDERATION.
   
   ALL APPLICATIONS WILL BE PRESCREENED.
   
   DJJ IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
   
   Bachelor's degree in a related field from an accredited college or university OR Two years of experience at the lower level Juv. Probation/Parole Spec 1 (SSP130) or position equivalent.
   
   Additional Information
   
   * Number of Openings: 1
   * Advertised Salary: $42,000.00
   * Shift: Day Job
   * Posting End Date: Oct 21, 2022

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find juvenile probation 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 juvenile probation officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level juvenile probation 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 juvenile probation officer job on Zippia to find and recruit juvenile probation 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 juvenile probation 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 juvenile probation officer

   Once you've decided on a perfect juvenile probation officer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a juvenile probation officer?