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Public Safety

Corrections Officer

Corrections officers maintain order and safety within jails and prisons, supervising incarcerated individuals and enforcing institutional rules. While FL and national projections show decline due to policy shifts, high turnover generates ongoing replacement openings. The GEO Group, headquartered in Boca Raton, makes Florida the center of the nation's private corrections industry.

FL Median Salary
$41,180
Entry Salary
$38,730
Experienced
$71,840
FL Growth
N/A

Requirements & Training

  • Credential: FL Correctional Officer Certificate via CJSTC; ~420-hour Corrections Officer Basic Recruit Training + State Officer Certification Exam
  • Florida license required: Yes (FL Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission (CJSTC) / FDLE; FL Dept. of Corrections as employer)

Career Path

  1. Correctional Officer → Senior Officer → Sergeant → Lieutenant → Captain → Warden

Top Florida Employers

FL Dept. of Corrections (50K+ employees)County jails (Hillsborough/Broward/Miami-Dade/Palm Beach)GEO Group (Boca Raton HQ)CoreCivic

Related Programs

  • Criminal Justice AS
  • Corrections Academy (CJSTC)
  • Criminology Certificate
  • Public Safety Administration AS
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Salary data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Florida Occupational Employment Statistics. School data from Florida Department of Education CIE database.

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