Correctional Services Salary in South African Rands

Job hunting is a daunting task but can be made easy if you have a clear vision of which field you are willing to serve. So if you are thinking of being a part of a correctional services institute and trying to explore correctional services salary then this article is for you.

The first thing job seekers look for is the job salary, right? This is why we are here today. Read ahead to know everything about correctional services because today we will discuss correctional services salary, job responsibilities, and many other things related to correctional service jobs.

Correctional Services Salary

Just like any other profession, the salaries of correctional officers also vary depending upon the qualifications and experience of the employee. I searched about it more because I wanted to know how much salary correctional officers are getting in South Africa. So after in-depth research, I finally got my hands on information about correctional services salaries according to their experience in this field.

Someone who is just starting their career as a correctional officer can expect an R208 184 salary whereas a senior level correctional officer who has over 8 years of experience can easily earn up to R339 011 annually.

Correctional Services Salary in South Africa vs. America

Correctional service is one of the highest-paid jobs in South Africa and the exciting news is that it is equally valuable in America too. So I thought to compare the correctional service salaries in both countries and share them with you.

I have already mentioned the annual correctional service salary in South Africa in this article which is around R205,847 but let’s look at the correctional service salary in the United States. So in America, a correctional officer earns up to $49,575 on average which is equal to R 927,520.98.

These are only estimated salaries of correctional officers in South Africa and America and vary from person to person depending upon his education and how experienced he is. Senior correctional officers earn more than entry-level correctional officers in both countries.

Moreover, the salaries of correctional officers increase with each passing year and according to recent reports, it is said that the correctional service salary will increase by 16% in the coming five years. Isn’t it shocking?

Correctional Officer Salary	Salary In South Africa	Salary in the United States
Entry Level	R 208 184	$44 141
Experienced	R 339 011	$ 55 013

Serving as a correctional officer is a tough job but the benefits you get as soon as you secure the job are commendable. Although the starting salary is low but is still a handsome amount compared to the entry-level salaries of other professions. If you have read this article until now then you must have gotten the idea of how much salary you can expect as a correctional officer in South Africa and America depending upon your education and experience, right?

Let’s look at the job responsibilities now because knowing about the salary is not enough if you are thinking of becoming a correctional officer in the future. My father is a correctional officer and being closely related to someone who is serving as a correctional officer I am well aware of job responsibilities, perks, and cons that come with this job. If you are interested in knowing them all then keep on reading this article.

What Does a Correctional Officer Do?

Every job has a certain set of responsibilities that the employer expects the employee to fulfill as long as he is serving. The same is true for correctional services. I am listing below all the duties a correctional officer is responsible for so read carefully and understand what is the job of a correctional officer.

Job Responsibilities of a Correctional Officer

A correctional officer regardless of the state, city, etc. he is hired in is responsible for the following duties. These include

• Supervision of inmates.
• Taking care and providing correctional treatment to the inmates.
• Managing areas where inmates are kept.
• Escorting inmates within the secured areas without violating the law, policies, and any other procedure.
• Maintaining the security of the institution.
• Checking mail for contraband to make sure no inmate is keeping illegal items.
• Enforcing rules and regulations within the institute.
• Keeping records, and maintaining a report of incidents and other important documents.
• Moreover, a correctional officer also performs searches on inmates as well as visitors.
• Also, he should count the inmates accurately and the inmates’ numbers in an institution should be the same as registered on paper.
• Provides inventories to inmates to keep their personal items safe.
• He should also keep law and order in the institution and make sure no one is physically abusing anyone. Hence protecting all inmates and officers from harm is also upon correctional officers.
• Correctional officer also provides emergency help when needed such as CPR, first aid, inmate escapes, evacuation procedures, etc.

Skills and Education

Anyone who has a high school diploma can apply for correctional officer jobs but to secure a job, the applicant needs to pass both written and physical tests. However, training qualifications may vary depending on the state, agency, etc. The skills employers look for in a correctional officer are

• Communication skills
• Negotiation skills
• Physical strength
• Problem-solving skills
• Decision-making skills
• Alertness

Ranks of Correctional Officer

There are multiple ranks of correctional officers and each officer is responsible for fulfilling his duties. I am listing all the ranks below from lower to higher rank. So here you go.

• Correctional officer trainee
• Correctional Officer
• Senior correctional officer
• Sergeant
• Lieutenant
• Captian
• Major
• Deputy Warden
• Warden

Factors on Which Correctional Officer Salary Depends

Just like any other profession, there are a few factors on which the salary of a correctional officer depends. I will share all the factors in a moment with you all. The key factors that determine the salary of a correctional officer are:

• If you are a seasoned correctional officer and have been in this field for a long time now then the institute will pay you more than a newcomer who has zero experience.
• Moreover, the location of the correctional institution plays a significant role in determining the wages of correctional officers as not all states and agencies pay the same salary to the correctional officers. Therefore, correctional services salary varies depending upon the institute’s budget and location.
• Furthermore, correctional services salary also depends on the rank of the correctional officer. Just like any other institute and department higher rank officers get paid more than lower rank correctional officers.
• Lastly, the government policies, union agreements, and economic state of the country also affect the correctional services’ salary.

Pros and Cons

Serving as a correctional officer is not an easy job but it comes with plenty of benefits like defined working hours, a good career pathway, and other allowances. The challenges a correctional officer faces while serving include a dangerous work environment, potential risk to mental health, and sometimes they are asked to work at undesirable work conditions. So to be a successful correctional officer one should be hardworking, accept challenges, and be resilient.

In a nutshell, correctional services are challenging but offer decent salaries to attract and retain qualified personnel. Considering the challenges of the job and the budget of institutes the correctional services salary varies which is why some correctional officers of the same rank are getting more pay as compared to the officer who is providing correctional services in other state, region, or country.

So in conclusion we can say salaries of people serving in correctional institutes are not fixed however we have provided the salary ranges of correctional officers to provide accurate information to our readers. I hope you find our article helpful. Thank you for reading.