Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary
Correctional Officers and Jailers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL make a median of $41,170 a year, or about $19.79 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.08), which stretches that salary to about $47,828 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $992/month, about 35.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $41K get you in Cape Girardeau?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cape Girardeau’s Regional Price Parity (86.08). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About correctional officers and jailers
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What this looks like in Cape Girardeau
Pay for correctional officers and jailers in Cape Girardeau runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $992/month, which is 35.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for correctional officers and jailerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for correctional officers and jailers in metros near Cape Girardeau, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $51K | $54K |
| Kansas City | $51K | $56K |
| Jefferson City | $43K | $48K |
| Springfield | $47K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
Entry-level correctional officers and jailers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $10K spread from bottom to top.
Correctional Officers and Jailers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Correctional Officers and Jailers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $96K | +64% | 37,860 |
| New Jersey | $95K | +61% | 7,570 |
| Massachusetts | $86K | +46% | 6,360 |
| Oregon | $84K | +42% | 3,650 |
| Washington | $79K | +35% | 6,800 |
| Illinois | $79K | +34% | 12,190 |
| New York | $77K | +30% | 27,770 |
| Nevada | $76K | +30% | 3,240 |
| Wisconsin | $73K | +25% | 7,360 |
| Alaska | $71K | +21% | 850 |
| Hawaii | $70K | +18% | 1,310 |
| Utah | $67K | +14% | 2,050 |
| Minnesota | $66K | +12% | 5,350 |
| Delaware | $66K | +12% | 1,730 |
| Connecticut | $65K | +10% | 3,780 |
| Maryland | $64K | +9% | 6,060 |
| Michigan | $64K | +9% | 8,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | +8% | 15,560 |
| Nebraska | $63K | +8% | 3,250 |
| Colorado | $62K | +5% | 7,290 |
| New Hampshire | $61K | +4% | 680 |
| Ohio | $59K | +1% | 12,610 |
| Kansas | $56K | -5% | 3,380 |
| Arizona | $55K | -7% | 14,230 |
| Wyoming | $55K | -7% | 920 |
| Vermont | $54K | -9% | 450 |
| Idaho | $54K | -9% | 2,370 |
| Iowa | $53K | -10% | 3,440 |
| South Dakota | $53K | -10% | 1,490 |
| West Virginia | $53K | -10% | 2,980 |
| Maine | $53K | -11% | 1,090 |
| Texas | $53K | -11% | 44,700 |
| North Dakota | $52K | -11% | 1,290 |
| Tennessee | $51K | -14% | 6,990 |
| North Carolina | $51K | -14% | 11,900 |
| Virginia | $50K | -15% | 11,270 |
| Florida | $50K | -16% | 24,280 |
| Montana | $49K | -17% | 1,430 |
| Indiana | $48K | -18% | 8,060 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -19% | 2,740 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -19% | 4,870 |
| Georgia | $48K | -19% | 10,640 |
| Alabama | $47K | -21% | 4,970 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | -22% | 3,730 |
| Missouri | $43K | -28% | 6,670 |
| Kentucky | $42K | -28% | 6,770 |
| Arkansas | $40K | -32% | 4,460 |
| Louisiana | $40K | -32% | 7,960 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -34% | 4,040 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track correctional officers and jailers salary changes
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Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a correctional officers and jailer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cape Girardeau?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 35.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $992/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for correctional officers and jailers in Cape Girardeau?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new correctional officers and jailers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,170/month. At HUD’s $992/month FMR, rent would take 46% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is correctional officers and jailer a high-paying job in Cape Girardeau?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $41K here vs. $59K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Cape Girardeau compare to the national average for correctional officers and jailers?
Cape Girardeau pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do correctional officers and jailers make in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?
The median is $41,170 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,170, and experienced correctional officers and jailers can clear $46,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Cape Girardeau?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,830/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $992/month, which eats 35.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a correctional officers and jailers salary go in Cape Girardeau?
Cape Girardeau has a Regional Price Parity of 86.08 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median correctional officers and jailers salary is worth about $47,828 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do correctional officers and jailers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.