Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
What is a prison guard and how to become one
Avg. Salary $41,596
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate -10%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.95%
Asian 2.03%
Black or African American 15.02%
Hispanic or Latino 19.22%
Unknown 5.26%
White 57.52%
Genderfemale 26.96%
male 73.04%
Age - 40American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 40Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Prison Guard career paths
Key steps to become a prison guard
Explore prison guard education requirements
Start to develop specific prison guard skills
Skills 
Percentages Security Procedures 28.04% Emergency Situations 18.08% Incident Reports 8.82% Security Checks 8.69% Correctional Facility 7.41% Complete relevant prison guard training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New prison guards learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a prison guard based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real prison guard resumes.Research prison guard duties and responsibilities
- Carry and operate various types of firearms as necessary and under authorization outside the facility.
- Perform basic first aid procedures and cardiopulmonary resuscitation which involves kneeling and bending.
Prepare your prison guard resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your prison guard resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a prison guard resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Prison Guard Resume templates
Build a professional Prison Guard resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Prison Guard resume.
Apply for prison guard jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a prison guard job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Prison Guard Job
Are you a Prison Guard?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average prison guard salary
The average Prison Guard salary in the United States is $41,596 per year or $20 per hour. Prison guard salaries range between $30,000 and $56,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do prison guards rate their job?
Prison Guard reviews
Accountability
Cert don't have to help work post when facilities are short..
Dirty officers, mistreatment of I/M's, lack of help from higher up management, being required to work days off because we can't keep staff.
I enjoy working with different officers from many places around the country. Working a 12 hour shift 4 days a week with 2 days off, makes the people you work with all like family. Enjoy seeing I/M's getting released.
Pay and benefits are good for a family provider. The friendships with fellow officers lasts a lifetime. With overtime, I earned in pay and benefits, $3.5 million. I retired at 59.
Political leaders will always find more ways to change prison from a justice system to a therapy community. Giving retirement like benefits to those who robbed your homes and stores, raped your children and wives, and broke your laws.
Updated January 8, 2025
