Correctional Officers and Jailers build social perceptiveness, coordination and persuasion skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers (84%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers | 84% | $55,940 | −5% | None |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | 83% | $106,040 | +80% | None |
| 3 | First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | 83% | $77,970 | +32% | Certificate or associate |
| 4 | Public Safety Telecommunicators | 77% | $53,040 | −10% | None |
| 5 | Transportation Security Screeners | 75% | $66,770 | +13% | None |
| 6 | Security Guards | 72% | $38,020 | −35% | None |
| 7 | Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance | 72% | $50,340 | −15% | None |
| 8 | Flight Attendants | 71% | $63,580 | +8% | None |
| 9 | First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers | 70% | $63,820 | +8% | None |
| 10 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 69% | $64,400 | +9% | Certificate or associate |
Compared with Correctional Officers and Jailers, median $58,940. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as correctional officers and jailers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
84% skill match · $55,940 · −5% pay
Management of Personnel Resources · Management of Financial Resources · Management of Material Resources
83% skill match · $106,040 · +80% pay
Management of Personnel Resources · Management of Financial Resources · Management of Material Resources
83% skill match · $77,970 · +32% pay
Management of Personnel Resources · Operations Analysis · Coordination
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers (84% skill match, median $55,940), First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives (83% skill match, median $106,040) and First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers (83% skill match, median $77,970), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 12 pay more than correctional officers and jailers at the median. The biggest increases: First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives (+80%, $106,040), Postmasters and Mail Superintendents (+64%, $96,660) and First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers (+59%, $93,530).
19 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.