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The differences between probation officers and correction officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a probation officer has an average salary of $47,252, which is higher than the $39,369 average annual salary of a correction officer.
The top three skills for a probation officer include criminal justice, mental health and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a correction officer are public safety, correctional facility, and emergency situations.
| Probation Officer | Correction Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $47,252 | $39,369 |
| Hourly rate | $22.72 | $18.93 |
| Growth rate | - | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 55,952 | 103,383 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A probation officer is responsible for monitoring probationers' cases, evaluating terms, and overseeing rehabilitation processes. Probation officers strategize probational operations, as well as recommending treatment plans to achieve probational objectives. They also maintain progress reports, deciding on release requirements and other conditional services to motivate the probationers on adhering to their treatment procedures. A probation officer assesses the probationers' behaviors during the probationary period, regularly interacting with them to identify their challenges, and administering remedial actions.
A correction officer is responsible for monitoring the daily activities of individuals serving time in prison, enforcing the standard rules and regulatory procedures to maintain safety and security within the premises. Correction officers' duties include searching for restricted items, inspecting the facilities' condition, observing unusual and suspicious behaviors, generating incident reports, and providing assistance during counseling and trial schedules. Correction officers must be highly knowledgeable of legal regulations. They must also cooperate with court procedures for any investigations within their place of work.
Probation officers and correction officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Probation Officer | Correction Officer | |
| Average salary | $47,252 | $39,369 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $69,000 | Between $28,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Hamilton | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a probation officer and a correction officer in terms of educational background:
| Probation Officer | Correction Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | - |
Here are the differences between probation officers' and correction officers' demographics:
| Probation Officer | Correction Officer | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.4% Female, 54.6% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 2.2% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 16.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |