What the occupation covers
Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 21-1092.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $46,840 | $3,903 | $901 | $22.52 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $54,250 | $4,521 | $1,043 | $26.08 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $66,270 | $5,522 | $1,274 | $31.86 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $84,780 | $7,065 | $1,630 | $40.76 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $107,790 | $8,982 | $2,073 | $51.82 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists is $66,270, which is 30% higher. Among the 17 occupations of the field Community and Social Service, it ranks number 4 by median pay. With 89,390 jobs, it makes up about 5.7 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($73,130) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($103,640), Connecticut ($97,350) and Massachusetts ($94,590). The lowest was in Mississippi ($34,110), Missouri ($46,840) and Oklahoma ($50,380). The most jobs were in California (13,900), Texas (8,100) and Florida (4,490). The occupation is most concentrated in Alaska, where its share of all jobs is 2.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 13,900 | $103,640 | $105,440 | $49.83 |
| Connecticut | 1,200 | $97,350 | $97,050 | $46.81 |
| Massachusetts | 1,200 | $94,590 | $92,910 | $45.48 |
| Oregon | 1,260 | $84,920 | $86,210 | $40.83 |
| Vermont | 190 | $83,820 | $82,490 | $40.30 |
| Washington | 2,150 | $82,750 | $84,910 | $39.79 |
| Delaware | 380 | $81,880 | $80,140 | $39.37 |
| Minnesota | 2,040 | $81,580 | $84,020 | $39.22 |
| New York | 4,360 | $80,350 | $80,970 | $38.63 |
| New Jersey | 2,890 | $80,280 | $80,640 | $38.60 |
| Michigan | 2,190 | $79,760 | $74,550 | $38.35 |
| Iowa | 950 | $77,390 | $75,840 | $37.21 |
| Alaska | 480 | $77,000 | $81,840 | $37.02 |
| Maryland | 1,370 | $76,390 | $77,530 | $36.73 |
| Nevada | 780 | $75,840 | $74,620 | $36.46 |
| Illinois | 2,590 | $74,390 | $78,380 | $35.76 |
| Hawaii | 40 | $73,830 | $73,950 | $35.49 |
| Colorado | 2,540 | $71,680 | $73,490 | $34.46 |
| Maine | 160 | $71,140 | $65,690 | $34.20 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,310 | $67,370 | $69,440 | $32.39 |
| South Dakota | 280 | $66,870 | $67,860 | $32.15 |
| New Mexico | 620 | $66,000 | $66,670 | $31.73 |
| North Dakota | 250 | $65,140 | $65,990 | $31.32 |
| Nebraska | 560 | $63,460 | $63,710 | $30.51 |
| Louisiana | 980 | $62,910 | $63,690 | $30.25 |
| North Carolina | 3,310 | $62,220 | $60,280 | $29.91 |
| Kansas | 760 | $61,890 | $62,750 | $29.75 |
| Ohio | 3,310 | $61,120 | $63,260 | $29.39 |
| Alabama | 1,080 | $61,050 | $62,270 | $29.35 |
| Arizona | 1,100 | $60,910 | $62,370 | $29.28 |
| Georgia | 2,650 | $60,270 | $59,350 | $28.98 |
| Indiana | 2,270 | $60,170 | $62,650 | $28.93 |
| Idaho | 760 | $59,780 | $61,340 | $28.74 |
| Montana | 360 | $59,750 | $60,620 | $28.72 |
| Kentucky | 830 | $59,610 | $59,380 | $28.66 |
| Virginia | 2,730 | $58,820 | $59,840 | $28.28 |
| Tennessee | 2,120 | $58,010 | $57,980 | $27.89 |
| South Carolina | 460 | $56,780 | $61,900 | $27.30 |
| Wyoming | 200 | $56,580 | $59,280 | $27.20 |
| West Virginia | 890 | $53,120 | $54,830 | $25.54 |
| Texas | 8,100 | $52,880 | $56,510 | $25.43 |
| Arkansas | 850 | $51,180 | $51,100 | $24.61 |
| Florida | 4,490 | $50,960 | $52,570 | $24.50 |
| Oklahoma | 870 | $50,380 | $50,380 | $24.22 |
| Missouri | 2,290 | $46,840 | $47,900 | $22.52 |
| Mississippi | 150 | $34,110 | $38,240 | $16.40 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Social Workers, All Other$71,900 a year
- Healthcare Social Workers$67,880 a year
- Marriage and Family Therapists$66,940 a year
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$64,330 a year
- Health Education Specialists$64,070 a year
- Clergy$60,810 a year
Common questions
How much do Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $66,270 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,840 and the highest-paid 10% more than $107,790.
How many people work as Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists?
About 89,390 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.