Probation and Parole Officer pay and requirements by state
Probation and parole officers supervise adults serving sentences in the community or released from prison. Most states employ them through the corrections department, the parole board or the state courts; a few leave probation to counties. Most states ask for a bachelor's degree, though many accept work experience instead. Pay, training and pensions differ a lot by state.
Across the 46 states with a published scale, the median starting salary is $55,401. The highest is California at $87,336; the lowest is Alabama at $42,094. Minimum hiring age: 21 in 14 states, 18 in 4 states, 19 in 2 states, 20.5 in 1 state, 20 in 1 state.
Highest starting pay
- 1. California$87,336
- 2. Connecticut$82,928
- 3. Nevada$76,609
- 4. Rhode Island$70,876
- 5. Illinois$70,008
- 6. Delaware$68,969
All states
Tap a state for hiring steps, academy, pension and sources.
| State | Employer | Starting pay | Top pay | Min. age | Pension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles | $42,094 | $70,392 | 21 | Employees' Retirement System of Alabama (ERS), Retirement Systems of Alabama — Tier 2 |
| Alaska | Alaska Department of Corrections — Division of Pretrial, Probation and Parole | $57,798 | $152,042 | 21 | Alaska Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) — Defined Contribution Retirement (DCR) Plan (Tier IV) |
| Arizona | Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) — Community Corrections | $58,212 | — | 21 | Arizona Corrections Officer Retirement Plan (CORP), administered by PSPRS — Tier 3 (hired on/after July 1, 2018) |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Department of Corrections — Division of Community Correction (Probation and Parole) | $50,845 | $75,251 | 21 | Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS) — Contributory Plan |
| California | California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) — Division of Adult Parole Operations | $87,336 | $126,864 | 21 | California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) — State Peace Officer/Firefighter (Bargaining Unit 6), PEPRA |
| Colorado | Colorado Judicial Branch — Probation Services (state-run probation in the judicial districts) | $58,418 | $84,708 | — | Colorado PERA — Defined Benefit Plan (non-safety member); probation officers are not on PERA's Safety Officer list |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Department of Correction — Parole and Community Services Division | $82,928 | $108,110 | — | Connecticut State Employees Retirement System (SERS) — Tier IV (hybrid DB + DC) |
| Delaware | Delaware Department of Correction — Bureau of Community Corrections (Probation and Parole) | $68,969 | $94,933 | 20.5 | Delaware State Employees' Pension Plan (SEPP) |
| Florida | Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) — Office of Community Corrections | $45,760 | — | 19 | Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension Plan — Special Risk Class |
| Georgia | Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS) | $55,083 | — | 18 | Employees' Retirement System of Georgia (ERS) — GSEPS (Tier 3) hybrid: pension plus Peach State Reserves 401(k) |
| Hawaii | Hawai'i State Judiciary (circuit court probation / Adult Client Services) | $52,416 | $74,652 | — | Employees' Retirement System of the State of Hawaii (ERS), Hybrid Plan |
| Idaho | Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC), Probation and Parole Division | $55,328 | — | 21 | Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI) Base Plan, Police Officer/Firefighter member class |
| Illinois | Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), Parole Division | $70,008 | $99,684 | — | State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois (SERS), Tier 2 Alternative Formula |
| Indiana | Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC), Division of Parole Services | $47,320 | — | — | Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS) - PERF Hybrid Plan (state default) or PERF My Choice: Retirement Savings Plan |
| Iowa | Iowa Department of Corrections, Community Based Corrections (judicial district offices) | $56,306 | $85,342 | — | Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS), Regular membership |
| Kansas | Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), Community & Field Services (Parole) | $61,838 | — | — | Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS), KPERS 3 (cash balance; hired Jan. 1, 2015 and after) |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Department of Corrections, Division of Probation and Parole | $49,220 | — | 21 | Kentucky Public Pensions Authority (KPPA) - Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS) Hazardous, Tier 3 Hybrid Cash Balance Plan |
| Louisiana | Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C), Division of Probation and Parole | $48,672 | — | — | Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System (LASERS), Hazardous Duty Services Plan |
| Maine | Maine Department of Corrections, Adult Community Corrections | $59,322 | $81,578 | 21 | Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), 1998 Special Plan |
| Maryland | Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), Division of Parole and Probation | $55,710 | $87,867 | 21 | Maryland State Retirement and Pension System - Correctional Officers' Retirement System (CORS) |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Trial Court, Massachusetts Probation Service | — | — | — | Massachusetts State Employees' Retirement System (MSERS), Group 2 |
| Michigan | Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), Field Operations Administration | $55,474 | $88,254 | — | State of Michigan Defined Contribution (DC) Plan (401(k)), State Employees' Retirement System |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Department of Corrections, Community Services / Field Services | $54,538 | $79,156 | — | Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS), General Employees Retirement Plan |
| Missouri | Missouri Department of Corrections, Division of Probation and Parole | $47,303 | — | — | Missouri State Employees' Retirement System (MOSERS), MSEP 2011 |
| Montana | Montana Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole Bureau (Public Safety Division) | $57,366 | — | 18 | Montana Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), Defined Benefit Retirement Plan (12-month window to elect the Defined Contribution plan instead) |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Judicial Branch, Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation (Nebraska Probation System) | $42,864 | — | — | Nebraska State Employees' Retirement System (State Employees' Retirement Plan), Cash Balance Tier Two (members joining on/after January 1, 2018) |
| Nevada | Nevada Department of Public Safety (DPS), Division of Parole and Probation | $76,609 | $114,694 | 21 | Public Employees' Retirement System of Nevada (NVPERS), Police/Fire |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Department of Corrections, Division of Field Services | $61,360 | $97,594 | — | New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS), Group II (Police), Tier C |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Judiciary (Superior Court), Probation Services / vicinage Probation Divisions | $55,943 | $91,347 | — | Public Employees' Retirement System of New Jersey (PERS), Tier 5 |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Corrections Department, Probation and Parole Division | $51,755 | $77,633 | — | Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico (PERA), State Public Safety Member Coverage Plan 1 |
| New York | New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), Community Supervision | $53,132 | $103,513 | 21 | New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System (NYSLRS ERS), Tier 6 |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (DAC), Community Supervision | $48,374 | $70,586 | 20 | Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System (TSERS), law enforcement officer (LEO) provisions |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR), Division of Parole, Probation, and Pretrial Services | $59,472 | — | — | North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System (NDPERS), State Public Safety plan |
| Ohio | Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC), Adult Parole Authority | $57,158 | $71,448 | — | Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS), Traditional Pension Plan, Group C, State division |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC), Probation and Parole Services | $48,045 | $54,701 | 21 | Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS), hazardous duty provisions |
| Oregon | county community corrections system (Oregon DOC funds and oversees it; DPSST certifies officers) | — | — | 21 | — |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Parole Field Services (state parole agents) | $53,008 | $80,646 | — | Pennsylvania SERS, Class A-3 (or elect A-4), enforcement-officer category (exempt from Act 5 hybrid/DC choice) |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC), Adult Probation and Parole | $70,876 | $79,844 | — | Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI), state employee hybrid plan (defined benefit + defined contribution) |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS) | $53,189 | $60,500 | 21 | South Carolina Police Officers Retirement System (PORS), Class Three |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Unified Judicial System (UJS), Court Services | $59,010 | $92,560 | — | South Dakota Retirement System (SDRS), Generational member, Class B public safety (court services officers and DOC parole agents are both listed as Class B members) |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC), Division of Community Supervision | $49,176 | $73,920 | 18 | Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) Hybrid Plan (state employees hired after July 1, 2014): TCRS defined benefit + 401(k) |
| Texas | Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), Parole Division | $54,860 | $60,828 | 18 | Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS), Group 4 cash balance benefit (state employees starting on or after Sept. 1, 2022) |
| Utah | Utah Department of Corrections (UDC), Division of Adult Probation and Parole (AP&P) | — | — | 19 | Utah Retirement Systems (URS), Tier 2 Public Safety and Firefighter system (Hybrid or 401(k)-only option) |
| Vermont | Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC), Probation and Parole field offices | $68,078 | $104,853 | — | Vermont State Employees' Retirement System (VSERS), Group G (DOC employees who provide direct security and treatment services to offenders under supervision in the community, first employed on or after July 1, 2023) |
| Virginia | Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC), Division of Community Corrections (Probation & Parole districts) | $53,303 | $121,468 | — | Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System (VaLORS) Plan 2; Va. Code § 51.1-212 includes parole officers appointed under § 53.1-143 |
| Washington | Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC), Community Corrections Division | $67,908 | $95,928 | — | Public Safety Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) Plan 2 (RCW 41.37.010(19)(b) covers DOC employees whose primary responsibility is custody and security of incarcerated or probationary individuals as a probation officer) |
| West Virginia | Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, Administrative Office (Division of Probation Services; officers serve the circuit courts) | $53,038 | — | — | West Virginia Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Tier II (first hired on or after July 1, 2015) |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC), Division of Community Corrections | $51,334 | $65,125 | — | Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), protective occupation category (Wis. Stat. 40.02(48)(am)14 lists 'a state probation and parole officer') |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC), Field Services Division (Probation and Parole) | $61,901 | $82,534 | — | Wyoming Retirement System (WRS) Law Enforcement Pension Plan (covers WDOC correctional officers and probation and parole agents) |
Pay is the state's published base scale for the entry title, before overtime and differentials. Each state page links the source and its effective date.