Corrections Officer

Explore employment trends, required job duties and skills for this career. ASU offers a variety of degrees that can help you prepare for and meet your career goals. Visit ASU's Career and Professional Development Services to learn how to develop your career plan.

Find related programs

Potential job titles in this career

Deputy, Deputy Sheriff, Law Enforcement Officer, Patrol Deputy, Patrol Officer, Peace Officer, Police Officer, Police Patrol Officer, Public Safety Officer, State Trooper

* Additional schooling, certification, or degrees maybe be required for some of the potential careers that are listed.

What will I do?

Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.

Provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations.

Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.

Render aid to accident victims and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.

Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.

Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.

Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.

Testify in court to present evidence or act as witness in traffic and criminal cases.

Relay complaint and emergency-request information to appropriate agency dispatchers.

Monitor traffic to ensure motorists observe traffic regulations and exhibit safe driving procedures.

In this career, it is important to know

Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

It's useful to be good at

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.

Employment trends

Location	Pay period	2022
Location	Pay period	10%	25%	Median%	75%	90%
United States	Hourly	$19.50	$24.14	$31.63	$40.64	$50.05
United States	Yearly	$40,560	$50,210	$65,790	$84,520	$104,100
Arizona	Hourly	$24.36	$29.03	$32.36	$38.55	$39.60
Arizona	Yearly	$50,660	$60,370	$67,310	$80,190	$82,360

2022 Median%
United States	$31.63 Hourly	$65,790 Yearly
Arizona	$32.36 Hourly	$67,310 Yearly

Employment (2022)

684,000 employees

Projected growth (2022 - 2032)

Slower than average (2% to 3%)

Projected job openings (2022 - 2032)

55,000

* Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).

What are accelerated programs?

Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

3 year programs

These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.

Accelerated master's

These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).

Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.

What are concurrent programs?

Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.

What are joint programs?

Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

What constitutes a new program?

ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the “New Programs” option.

What are online programs?

ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.

What is the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)?

The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a program in which residents of western states (other than Arizona) may be eligible for reduced nonresident tuition. See more information and eligibility requirements on the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program.