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Prison guard vs custodial officer

The differences between prison guards and custodial officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a custodial officer has an average salary of $42,867, which is higher than the $41,596 average annual salary of a prison guard.

The top three skills for a prison guard include security procedures, emergency situations and incident reports. The most important skills for a custodial officer are emergency calls, security checks, and law enforcement.

Prison guard vs custodial officer overview

Prison GuardCustodial Officer
Yearly salary$41,596$42,867
Hourly rate$20.00$20.61
Growth rate-10%-10%
Number of jobs16,205101,579
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age4040
Years of experience--

Prison guard vs custodial officer salary

Prison guards and custodial officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Prison GuardCustodial Officer
Average salary$41,596$42,867
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $56,000Between $31,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City-New York, NY
Highest paying state-New York
Best paying company-Wellpath
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between prison guard and custodial officer education

There are a few differences between a prison guard and a custodial officer in terms of educational background:

Prison GuardCustodial Officer
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common college--

Prison guard vs custodial officer demographics

Here are the differences between prison guards' and custodial officers' demographics:

Prison GuardCustodial Officer
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 73.0% Female, 27.0%Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 15.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 2.0% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 15.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 2.0% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between prison guard and custodial officer duties and responsibilities

Prison guard example responsibilities.

  • Carry and operate various types of firearms as necessary and under authorization outside the facility.
  • Perform basic first aid procedures and cardiopulmonary resuscitation which involves kneeling and bending.

Custodial officer example responsibilities.

  • Watch CCTV cameras and control security doors.
  • Conduct rounds, answer phones and monitor the CCTV.
  • Maintain booking and release records, Huber accounts, and property records.
  • Assist officers in the booking of suspects; searching, fingerprinting, transporting.
  • Patrol assign areas for evidence of unauthorize activities, infractions of rules, unsatisfactory attitudes or unsatisfactory adjustment of inmates.
  • Administer basic emergency first aid and cardio pulmonary resuscitation as needed.

Prison guard vs custodial officer skills

Common prison guard skills
  • Security Procedures, 28%
  • Emergency Situations, 18%
  • Incident Reports, 9%
  • Security Checks, 9%
  • Correctional Facility, 7%
  • CPR, 6%
Common custodial officer skills
  • Emergency Calls, 23%
  • Security Checks, 16%
  • Law Enforcement, 12%
  • Communication Systems, 10%
  • Booking, 7%
  • Public Safety, 7%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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