Parole officer vs adult probation officer

The differences between parole officers and adult probation officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a parole officer and an adult probation officer. Additionally, an adult probation officer has an average salary of $46,598, which is higher than the $45,474 average annual salary of a parole officer.

The top three skills for a parole officer include sex offenders, criminal justice and social work. The most important skills for an adult probation officer are criminal justice, social work, and mental health.

Parole officer vs adult probation officer overview

	Parole Officer	Adult Probation Officer
Yearly salary	$45,474	$46,598
Hourly rate	$21.86	$22.40
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	55,945	56,961
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Parole officer vs adult probation officer salary

Parole officers and adult probation officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Parole Officer	Adult Probation Officer
Average salary	$45,474	$46,598
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $66,000	Between $30,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Denver, CO	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	California	Nevada
Best paying company	State of Connecticut	Lake County
Best paying industry	Non Profits	Government

Differences between parole officer and adult probation officer education

There are a few differences between a parole officer and an adult probation officer in terms of educational background:

	Parole Officer	Adult Probation Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Parole officer vs adult probation officer demographics

Here are the differences between parole officers' and adult probation officers' demographics:

	Parole Officer	Adult Probation Officer
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5%	Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 2.4% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 2.1% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between parole officer and adult probation officer duties and responsibilities

Parole officer example responsibilities.

Manage significant DUI caseload to court-ordered and conditional probation completion.
Monitor clients every movement through GPS equipment provide by the division.
Perform random drug testing, monitor GPS equipment, install GPS monitoring on high risk offenders.
Perform superior case management responsibilities; serve subpoenas and request warrant issuance.
Comply information on clients' social and legal history in order to formulate effective rehabilitation strategies.
Prepare documents including information in computer base management system, warrants, subpoenas, other legal documents etc.

Adult probation officer example responsibilities.

Manage significant DUI caseload to court-ordered and conditional probation completion.
Enforce sex offender registration, obtain DNA samples and review GPS electronic monitoring system.
Supervise offenders on probation and parole, complete social histories/assessments/investigations for the sentencing court or parole board, case management.
Conduct DNA and urinalysis on clients.
Administer DNA indexing and random drug testing on probationers.
Review referral history and other JJIS data for accuracy and conduct data collection for statistical purposes within establish rules.

Parole officer vs adult probation officer skills

Common parole officer skills

Sex Offenders, 15%
Criminal Justice, 12%
Social Work, 8%
Public Safety, 8%
Substance Abuse, 6%
Mental Health, 5%

Common adult probation officer skills

Criminal Justice, 10%
Social Work, 10%
Mental Health, 8%
Court Orders, 5%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
Community Resources, 5%

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Parole Officer vs Adult Probation Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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