Corrections Specialist

Also called: Army 31E

Supervises prisoners in military prisons and detention facilities.

A day in the life

Corrections specialists run cell blocks, escort inmates, and help with rehabilitation programs at places like the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth. Civilian corrections officer and probation careers follow.

Pay over a career

Starting
$48k
Typical
$62k
High
$92k

Regular military compensation (RMC = base pay + housing and food allowances + their tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-6 ranks, 2026 estimate. Cash in hand is lower early on because junior troops often live in free barracks and eat in dining halls. Enlistment bonuses can add thousands.

Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.

Training

High school diploma, about 0.4 years after high school. High school diploma, then ~19 weeks of training. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.

Ways in: Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.

Majors to look at: Criminal Justice, Psychology.

Outlook

Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. Cell-block cameras help; supervising and escorting prisoners stays human.

Start now, in high school

Classes: Psychology, PE / fitness.

More Military Security & Law Enforcement careers

Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.