Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary
Correctional Officers and Jailers in Helena, MT make a median of $52,140 a year, or about $25.07 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.67), that's roughly $54,500 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,404/month, about 41% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Helena?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Helena’s Regional Price Parity (95.67). 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 Helena
Pay for correctional officers and jailers in Helena runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,404/month, which is 40.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.67) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for correctional officers and jailers in metros near Helena, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $49K | $53K |
| Missoula | $80K | $83K |
| Boise City | $55K | $56K |
| Sioux Falls | $54K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Helena, MT
Entry-level correctional officers and jailers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $13K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Helena numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a correctional officers and jailer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Helena?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 40.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,404/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 Helena?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new correctional officers and jailers typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,828/month. At HUD’s $1,404/month FMR, rent would take 50% 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 Helena?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $52K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Helena compare to the national average for correctional officers and jailers?
Helena pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — below the national median.
How much do correctional officers and jailers make in Helena, MT?
The median is $52,140 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,130, and experienced correctional officers and jailers can clear $59,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Helena?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,497/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,404/month, which eats 40.1% 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 Helena?
Helena has a Regional Price Parity of 95.67 (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 $54,500 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.