Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between special agents and correction officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special agent has an average salary of $60,916, which is higher than the $39,369 average annual salary of a correction officer.
The top three skills for a special agent include professional work, national security and local law enforcement. The most important skills for a correction officer are public safety, correctional facility, and emergency situations.
| Special Agent | Correction Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $60,916 | $39,369 |
| Hourly rate | $29.29 | $18.93 |
| Growth rate | 3% | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 46,232 | 103,383 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A special agent is responsible for investigating law violations and criminal activities by collecting pieces of evidence, including witnesses' testimonies, to release a warrant of arrest and initiate prosecution. Special agents work closely with other law enforcement agencies to identify threats, analyze occurring criminal activities, and connect intelligence records through observation and field investigations. They also attend court proceedings to present evidence for court decisions. A special agent must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, assessing unusual situations, and handling suspicious activities.
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.
Special agents and correction officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Agent | Correction Officer | |
| Average salary | $60,916 | $39,369 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $85,000 | Between $28,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | BNSF Railway | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a special agent and a correction officer in terms of educational background:
| Special Agent | Correction Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between special agents' and correction officers' demographics:
| Special Agent | Correction Officer | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 9% | 6% |