SOC 33-3012 · Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro

Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in Houston, TX

The average salary for correctional officers and jailers in Houston, Texas is $54,350 a year ($26.13 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $53,810: half of the 8,650 people in this job in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($63,630).

$54,350average per year

$26.13 / hourMedian $53,810Take-home ≈ $45,850

  • $48K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $59K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

8,650people in this job
-15%vs U.S. average
#6 of 21Texas metros
99cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Correctional Officers and Jailers pay range in Houston

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,660 a year or less, while the top 10% make $58,620 or more. The middle half of correctional officers and jailers in Houston earn between $48,880 and $57,330.

  • $48K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $59K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$54,350$4,529$26.13
Median$53,810$4,484$25.87
Entry level (25th percentile)$48,880$4,073$23.50
Experienced (75th percentile)$57,330$4,778$27.56

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Correctional Officers and Jailers pay in Houston vs. Texas and the U.S.

Correctional officers and jailers in Houston earn about the same as the Texas average ($53,330) and 15% less than the U.S. average ($63,630). At the median the gap is -9% against the U.S. median of $58,940.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Houston$54,350$53,810$47,660$58,6208,650
Texas$53,330$52,670$44,870$60,55044,700
United States$63,630$58,940$42,760$93,220380,500

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Correctional Officers and Jailers salary after taxes in Houston

On the average salary of $54,350, a single filer in Houston takes home about $45,850 a year, or $3,821 a month and $1,763 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Texas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Houston a good place for correctional officers and jailers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Houston area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.6), so the average $54,350 buys what about $55,105 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Houston ($49,410). A typical home costs $308,306, or 5.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $54,350 is worth in another city

Correctional Officers and Jailers salary in other Texas cities

Houston ranks 6th of 21 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($59,870).

All Correctional Officers and Jailers salaries in Texas

Highest-paying cities for correctional officers and jailers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($126,290).

Correctional Officers and Jailers salary by city

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Correctional Officers and Jailers salary in Houston: questions

How much do correctional officers and jailers make an hour in Houston?

$26.13 an hour on average, and $25.87 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level correctional officers and jailers salary in Houston?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,660 a year and the 25th percentile is $48,880, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the correctional officers and jailers take-home pay in Houston?

About $45,850 a year ($3,821 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $54,350. Texas has no state income tax.

Do correctional officers and jailers earn more in Houston than elsewhere?

The average here is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($63,630).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-3012; area Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (26420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.2%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.07, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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