How to become a corrections officer in Michigan
The Michigan Department of Corrections hires state corrections officers under the title Corrections Officer. New officers start at $50,232 a year, rising to $75,483 after about 4.5 years. You must be at least 18.
Pay
| Starting salary | $50,232 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $75,483 |
| Years to top | 4.5 |
| Scale effective | 2026-10-01 |
Top is the E9 step ($36.29/hr × 2080) in the October 1, 2026 state pay plan; a new top step at 54 months took effect October 1, 2025.
Source:[michigan.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 18
- Education: 15 semester (23 term) college credits in any field; education waiver allows up to 24 months after hire to complete them
- Citizenship: U.S. citizenship not required; must be authorized to work (I-9)
- Felony convictions may screen applicants out (Public Act 191 of 2017); anyone with a conviction is ineligible until any sentence, parole or probation is complete
- Background investigation
- Post-offer medical exam, drug screen and physical fitness test (COPAT)
- Position is drug- and alcohol-test designated
- Two years of full-time CO experience elsewhere can substitute for the college credits
Source:[governmentjobs.com]
Hiring process
- Online application (Lower or Upper Peninsula posting)
- Background investigation
- Conditional job offer
- Medical exam, drug screen and Correctional Officer Physical Aptitude Test (COPAT)
- 8-week academy (Green Oaks or Northern Region/Kinross)
- About two months of on-the-job training and probation at assigned facility
Source:[governmentjobs.com]
Academy
8 weeks, paid. Eight weeks of classroom training, then about two months of on-the-job training at the assigned facility. Paid from day one; optional lodging if more than 50 miles away. 2027 starts: Northern Region 1/17, 4/12, 7/19; Green Oaks 2/1, 4/26, 7/19.[michigan.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: State of Michigan Defined Contribution plan (401(k)/457), administered by the Office of Retirement Services
- Benefit formula: No defined-benefit pension for new hires. The state automatically contributes 4% of pay to a 401(k) and matches employee contributions up to 5% of pay (per job posting).
- Social Security: yes, you also pay in
The State Employees' Retirement System defined-benefit plan is closed; employees hired on or after March 31, 1997 are in the defined contribution plan.
Source:[michigan.gov]
Checked against official sources on 2026-10-23. Pay plans change; confirm with the employer before applying.