Prison officer demographics and statistics in the US
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Prison officer demographics by:
Prison officer gender statistics
17.9% of prison officers are women and 82.1% of prison officers are men.
- Male, 82.1%
- Female, 17.9%
Prison officer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 82.1% |
| Female | 17.9% |
Prison officer gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$44,715
Female income
$41,303
Prison officer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in prison officer positions over time. Currently, 17.9% of prison officers are female.
Prison officer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.29% | 18.71% |
| 2011 | 81.73% | 18.27% |
| 2012 | 81.94% | 18.06% |
| 2013 | 82.42% | 17.58% |
| 2014 | 83.39% | 16.61% |
| 2015 | 82.04% | 17.96% |
| 2016 | 82.60% | 17.40% |
| 2017 | 81.47% | 18.53% |
| 2018 | 82.84% | 17.16% |
| 2019 | 82.05% | 17.95% |
| 2020 | 82.47% | 17.53% |
| 2021 | 82.14% | 17.86% |
Prison officer related jobs gender ratio
We compared prison officers 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 Officer | 82% | 18% |
| 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 officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among prison officers is White, which makes up 61.1% of all prison officers. Comparatively, 17.4% of prison officers are Black or African American and 13.1% of prison officers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 61.1%
- Black or African American, 17.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 13.1%
- Unknown, 5.2%
- Asian, 2.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Prison officer race
| Prison officer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 61.1% |
| Black or African American | 17.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13.1% |
| Unknown | 5.2% |
| Asian | 2.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Prison officer race and ethnicity over time
See how prison officer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Prison officer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 68.30% | 18.44% | 1.31% | 9.75% |
| 2011 | 67.18% | 18.90% | 1.22% | 9.89% |
| 2012 | 67.99% | 18.67% | 1.83% | 8.64% |
| 2013 | 67.25% | 18.47% | 1.50% | 9.74% |
| 2014 | 66.89% | 19.23% | 1.33% | 9.63% |
| 2015 | 66.58% | 18.00% | 1.41% | 11.24% |
| 2016 | 67.07% | 17.02% | 1.78% | 11.57% |
| 2017 | 66.17% | 17.14% | 1.50% | 12.15% |
| 2018 | 65.20% | 17.20% | 1.92% | 12.47% |
| 2019 | 66.55% | 17.25% | 1.79% | 11.71% |
| 2020 | 64.60% | 15.36% | 1.69% | 12.30% |
| 2021 | 61.12% | 17.38% | 2.30% | 13.09% |
Prison officer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian prison officers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american prison officers have the lowest average salary at $42,795.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $44,192 |
| White | $45,297 |
| Black or African American | $42,795 |
| Asian | $45,697 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $45,663 |
Average prison officer age
See how the average age of prison officers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Prison officer 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 officer age breakdown
The average age of prison officers is 40+ years years old, representing 50% of the prison officer population.
Prison officer age breakdown
| Prison Officer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 50% |
| 30-40 years | 30% |
| 20-30 years | 19% |
Prison officer educational attainment
The most common degree for prison officers is bachelor's degree, with 33% of prison officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 28% and high school diploma degree at 17%.
- Bachelor's, 33%
- High School Diploma, 28%
- Diploma, 17%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 16%
Prison officers by degree level
| Prison officer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 33% |
| High School Diploma | 28% |
| Diploma | 17% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 16% |
Prison officer jobs you might like
Prison officer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, prison officers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $47,000 annually. With a Associate degree, prison officers earn a median annual income of $45,871 compared to $43,946 for prison officers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $43,946 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,000 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $45,871 |
Prison officer employment statistics
Company size where prison officers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where prison officers work.
Prison officer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 27% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 18% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 18% |
| > 10,000 employees | 27% |
Prison officer turnover and employment statistics
Prison officer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for prison officers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Prison officer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Prison officer 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 officer tenure
The average prison officer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 94 prison officers resumes in Zippia's database.
Prison officer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 12% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 9% |
| 11+ years | 17% |
Prison officer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of prison officers 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 Officer | 5.55% | - |
| Community Services Officer | 7.15% | 181,257 |
| Violent Crimes Detective | 8.65% | 689 |
| City Bailiff | 11.11% | 5,122 |
Similar prison officer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Community Services Officer | 7.15% | 181,257 |
| Violent Crimes Detective | 8.65% | 689 |
| City Bailiff | 11.11% | 5,122 |
Foreign languages spoken by prison officers
- Mandarin, 50.0%
- Chinese, 50.0%
Prison officer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Mandarin | 50.0% |
| Chinese | 50.0% |