Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary
Correctional Officers and Jailers in Portland-South Portland, ME make a median of $54,930 a year, or about $26.41 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.86), that's roughly $53,927 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,130/month, about 59.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Portland-South Portland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-South Portland’s Regional Price Parity (101.86). 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 Portland-South Portland
Correctional officers and jailers pay in Portland-South Portland tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,130/month, which is 58.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.86) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-South Portland, ME
Entry-level correctional officers and jailers (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $12K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a correctional officers and jailer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-South Portland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 58.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,130/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Portland-South Portland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new correctional officers and jailers typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,992/month. At HUD’s $2,130/month FMR, rent would take 71% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Portland-South Portland compare to the national average for correctional officers and jailers?
Portland-South Portland pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do correctional officers and jailers make in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The median is $54,930 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,860, and experienced correctional officers and jailers can clear $62,340. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Portland-South Portland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,640/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,130/month, which eats 58.5% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Portland-South Portland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.86 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median correctional officers and jailers salary is worth about $53,927 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.