Here's How Much Prison Guards Really Get Paid

Before getting down to the dollars, it's worth painting a bigger picture. This probably won't come as much of a surprise, but the life of a correctional officer is distinctly short on beer and skittles. An article published by the Houston Chronicle in 2019 (The Disadvantages of Being a Correctional Officer) paints this grim picture. "Most correctional officers don't make it past the age of 58. Some take their own lives, while others are killed in riots and assaults. After retirement, the average prison guard will live only 18 months. Chronic stress, heart attacks and depression are often the culprits."

So, given all that joyfulness, let's talk about salary. According to PayScale, an entry-level prison guard will take home a salary of about $35,000. After around four years of paid employment, that salary skyrockets (sarcastic voice) to $37,500. At the mid-career mark — about 5 to 9 years — the average prison guard salary increases to $50,000, and stays more or less capped at this level for the remainder of their career. Barring good luck or an exceptionally well-managed career trajectory, a smooth 50k is as good as it gets for a lifetime of work in the US prison system.

Prepare to be completely underwhelmed by this next revelation. The US faces a chronic shortage of correctional officers, according to a 2018 New York Times article on the state of prison systems (Safety Concerns Grow as Inmates Are Guarded by Teachers and Secretaries). "Support workers are frequently required to carry out risky tasks without training," the article explains. Adding insult to incarceration, "many prisons have been operating in a perpetual state of staffing turmoil, leaving some workers feeling ill-equipped and unsafe on the job."