Prison guard demographics and statistics in the US
On this page
Prison guard demographics by:
Prison guard gender statistics
27.0% of prison guards are women and 73.0% of prison guards are men.
- Male, 73.0%
- Female, 27.0%
Prison guard gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 73.0% |
| Female | 27.0% |
Prison guard gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$42,414
Female income
$38,893
Prison guard gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in prison guard positions over time. Currently, 27.0% of prison guards are female.
Prison guard gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.90% | 28.10% |
| 2011 | 72.49% | 27.51% |
| 2012 | 72.77% | 27.23% |
| 2013 | 73.41% | 26.59% |
| 2014 | 74.73% | 25.27% |
| 2015 | 72.90% | 27.10% |
| 2016 | 73.65% | 26.35% |
| 2017 | 72.13% | 27.87% |
| 2018 | 73.97% | 26.03% |
| 2019 | 72.91% | 27.09% |
| 2020 | 73.48% | 26.52% |
| 2021 | 73.04% | 26.96% |
Prison guard related jobs gender ratio
We compared prison guards 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% |
| Prison Guard | 73% | 27% |
| 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%
Prison guard demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among prison guards is White, which makes up 57.5% of all prison guards. Comparatively, 19.2% of prison guards are Hispanic or Latino and 15.0% of prison guards are Black or African American.
- White, 57.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 19.2%
- Black or African American, 15.0%
- Unknown, 5.3%
- Asian, 2.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
Prison guard race
| Prison guard race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 57.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.2% |
| Black or African American | 15.0% |
| Unknown | 5.3% |
| Asian | 2.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
Prison guard race and ethnicity over time
See how prison guard racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Prison guard race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.71% | 16.08% | 1.03% | 15.88% |
| 2011 | 63.59% | 16.55% | 0.94% | 16.02% |
| 2012 | 64.40% | 16.31% | 1.55% | 14.77% |
| 2013 | 63.66% | 16.11% | 1.23% | 15.87% |
| 2014 | 63.30% | 16.87% | 1.05% | 15.76% |
| 2015 | 62.99% | 15.64% | 1.13% | 17.37% |
| 2016 | 63.48% | 14.66% | 1.50% | 17.70% |
| 2017 | 62.57% | 14.78% | 1.23% | 18.28% |
| 2018 | 61.61% | 14.84% | 1.65% | 18.60% |
| 2019 | 62.95% | 14.89% | 1.51% | 17.84% |
| 2020 | 61.00% | 13.00% | 1.42% | 18.43% |
| 2021 | 57.52% | 15.02% | 2.03% | 19.22% |
Prison guard wage gap by race
According to our data, asian prison guards have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american prison guards have the lowest average salary at $40,429.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $41,873 |
| White | $43,017 |
| Black or African American | $40,429 |
| Asian | $43,432 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $43,397 |
Average prison guard age
See how the average age of prison guards varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Prison guard 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 |
Prison guard age breakdown
The average age of prison guards is 40+ years years old, representing 50% of the prison guard population.
Prison guard age breakdown
| Prison Guard Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 50% |
| 30-40 years | 30% |
| 20-30 years | 19% |
Prison guard educational attainment
The most common degree for prison guards is high school diploma, with 47% of prison guards earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 23% and bachelor's degree degree at 13%.
- High School Diploma, 47%
- Bachelor's, 23%
- Associate, 13%
- Diploma, 13%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Prison guards by degree level
| Prison guard degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 47% |
| Bachelor's | 23% |
| Associate | 13% |
| Diploma | 13% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Prison guard jobs you might like
Prison guard wage gap by degree level
According to the data, prison guards with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $44,786 annually. With a Associate degree, prison guards earn a median annual income of $43,612 compared to $41,618 for prison guards with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $41,618 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,786 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,612 |
Prison guard employment statistics
Most prison guards work for a government in the government industry.
Company size where prison guards work
Below, you can see the size of companies where prison guards work.
Prison guard jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 41% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 2% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
Prison guard jobs by company type
Employees with the prison guard job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most prison guards prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
Prison guard jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 8% |
| Public | 8% |
| Private | 30% |
| Government | 55% |
Prison guard jobs by industry
The most common industries for prison guards are government, manufacturing and health care.
Prison guard industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 53% |
| Manufacturing | 8% |
| Health Care | 8% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Education | 8% |
| Utilities | 4% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Insurance | 2% |
Prison guard turnover and employment statistics
Prison guard unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for prison guards between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Prison guard unemployment rate by year
| Year | Prison guard 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 prison guard tenure
The average prison guard stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 381 prison guards resumes in Zippia's database.
Prison guard tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 35% |
| 1-2 years | 38% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 6% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 6% |
Prison guard LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of prison guards 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Prison Guard | 5.55% | - |
| Deputy | 7.15% | 56,150 |
| Forgery/Fraud Investigator | 8.65% | 5,344 |
| City Bailiff | 11.11% | 5,122 |
Similar prison guard jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Deputy | 7.15% | 56,150 |
| Forgery/Fraud Investigator | 8.65% | 5,344 |
| City Bailiff | 11.11% | 5,122 |
Foreign languages spoken by prison guards
- Spanish, 60.0%
- Portuguese, 40.0%
Prison guard languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 60.0% |
| Portuguese | 40.0% |