Occupations · Community and Social Service
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 21-1092.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 66% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $107,530 | 4,360 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $78,920 | 3,520 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $73,890 | 1,850 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $70,820 | 1,440 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA | $100,120 | 1,270 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $62,140 | 1,240 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $77,750 | 1,190 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $98,690 | 1,160 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $52,710 | 1,090 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $55,090 | 1,020 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $71,720 | 1,010 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $68,750 | 1,000 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
- Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
- Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
- Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
- Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.
- Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
- Develop liaisons and networks with other parole officers, community agencies, correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, and aftercare agencies to plan for helping offenders with life adjustments.
- Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.
- Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.
- Administer drug and alcohol tests, including random drug screens of offenders, to verify compliance with substance abuse treatment programs.
- Inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations.
- Participate in decisions about whether cases should go before courts and which court should hear them.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2020-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2020-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 5
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| probation officer | 2635.3.21 | exact |
| criminal justice social worker | 2635.3.8 | close |
| juvenile correctional officer | 5413.1 | broader |
| youth offending team worker | 2635.3.26 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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