How hard is it to become a probation officer?

It is somewhat hard to become a probation officer. Probation officers are professionals who work with individuals who have been convicted of crimes, providing supervision and support to help them reintegrate into society. The specific requirements to become a probation officer can vary depending on the jurisdiction, but generally, a bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as criminal justice, social work, or psychology is required.

What are the pros and cons of being a probation officer?

The pros of being a probation officer include minimal education, job security, and helping society, but the cons are working in dangerous situations and being on call 24 hours a day. A probation officer is responsible for monitoring the activities of individuals sentenced to probation instead of prison.

Parole Officer vs. Probation Officer

A parole officer supervises individuals who have been convicted of a crime and have served time in prison and who have been granted parole before the end of their actual sentence, while a probation officer supervises individuals who have been convicted of a crime but were sentenced to probation rather than jail time.

How To Become A Probation Officer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a probation officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A Probation officer lives a fascinating life. Probation officers meet with criminals during their probation period to keep an eye on their behavior. They work with the criminals to prevent them from committing any new crime.

The role of a probation officer is to make sure the criminal fulfills every probationary demand. In case of any violation, they immediately report it to the local court. Before sentencing the offender, they carry out an investigation into the offender's criminal and personal history. They are bound to carry through with anything that courts assign to them.

To become a successful probation officer, you need a minimum associate's degree in criminal justice. But you require a bachelor's degree to work with more extensive and in-demand agencies. With pay of $20.05 per hour, you can work 40 hours every week, but might spend additional time meeting deadlines and doing investigations.

ScoreProbation OfficerUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,252

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

3.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.90%

Asian 2.20%

Black or African American 14.31%

Hispanic or Latino 16.71%

Unknown 2.60%

White 63.28%

Gender

female 54.58%

male 45.42%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress Level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.1

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

8.5

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a probation officer

Explore probation officer education requirements

Most common probation officer degrees

Bachelor's

73.1 %

Master's

13.5 %

Associate

9.7 %

Start to develop specific probation officer skills

Skills	Percentages
Criminal Justice	11.55%
Mental Health	10.21%
Rehabilitation	6.47%
Juvenile Offenders	5.71%
Community Resources	5.02%

Complete relevant probation officer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New probation officers 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 probation officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real probation officer resumes.

Research probation officer duties and responsibilities

Manage significant DUI caseload to court-ordered and conditional probation completion.
Create comprehensive case plans that identify needs of offenders in order to facilitate public safety and rehabilitation of the offender.
Promote positive changes in offender behavior that have been release from TDCJ to pursue their sentence.
Assist in the screening and selection of GPS offenders that are release from custody as a condition of bond.

Prepare your probation officer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your probation officer 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 probation officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Probation Officer Resume templates

Build a professional Probation Officer 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 Probation Officer resume.

Apply for probation officer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a probation officer 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 do probation officers rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Probation Officer reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2022

Pros

Working alongside parole officers and LE.. Casemanager style. Pay Training .

Cons

Long hrs. Endless report writing. Local county jail refused to take in arrest offenders .