Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary
Correctional Officers and Jailers in Montgomery, AL make a median of $55,360 a year, or about $26.62 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.68), which stretches that salary to about $61,731 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,016/month, or 27.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $55K get you in Montgomery?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Montgomery’s Regional Price Parity (89.68). 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 Montgomery
Correctional officers and jailers pay in Montgomery tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 6% difference. Rent runs $1,016/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.68 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for correctional officers and jailers in metros near Montgomery, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa | $50K | $57K |
| Birmingham | $58K | $63K |
| Huntsville | $45K | $48K |
| Mobile | $65K | $73K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montgomery, AL
Entry-level correctional officers and jailers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $39K 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 Montgomery numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a correctional officers and jailer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montgomery?
Yes — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 27.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,016/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for correctional officers and jailers in Montgomery?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new correctional officers and jailers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,146/month. At HUD’s $1,016/month FMR, rent would take 47% 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 Montgomery?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Montgomery compare to the national average for correctional officers and jailers?
Montgomery pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.68), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do correctional officers and jailers make in Montgomery, AL?
The median is $55,360 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,760, and experienced correctional officers and jailers can clear $74,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Montgomery?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,660/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,016/month, which eats 27.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a correctional officers and jailers salary go in Montgomery?
Montgomery has a Regional Price Parity of 89.68 (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 $61,731 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.