Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary
Correctional Officers and Jailers in Florida make a median of $49,710 a year, or about $23.9 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $50,426 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 46.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $50K get you in Florida?
About correctional officers and jailers
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What this looks like in Florida
Pay for correctional officers and jailers in Florida runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 47.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for correctional officers and jailerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level correctional officers and jailers (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Correctional Officers and Jailers salary by metro in Florida
19 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildwood-The Villages | $68K | +36% | 980 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $67K | +34% | 5,010 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $66K | +33% | 470 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $65K | +31% | 2,170 |
| Naples-Marco Island | $64K | +29% | 310 |
| Jacksonville | $62K | +24% | 1,060 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $60K | +21% | 230 |
| Gainesville | $50K | +1% | 530 |
| Port St. Lucie | $49K | -1% | 510 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $49K | -1% | 710 |
| Tallahassee | $48K | -3% | 1,180 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $48K | -3% | 1,260 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $48K | -4% | 450 |
| Ocala | $47K | -5% | 980 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $47K | -5% | 550 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $47K | -5% | 1,040 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $47K | -5% | 410 |
| Punta Gorda | $47K | -5% | 410 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $45K | -10% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 19 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a correctional officers and jailer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 47.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new correctional officers and jailers typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,746/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Florida?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $50K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Florida compare to the national average for correctional officers and jailers?
Florida pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — below the national median.
How much do correctional officers and jailers make in Florida?
The median is $49,710 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,760, and experienced correctional officers and jailers can clear $80,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,498/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 47.4% 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 Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (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 $50,426 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.