How to become a probation and parole officer in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Parole Field Services (state parole agents) hires state probation and parole officers under the title Parole Agent 1 (job code 46030, trainee level); full performance Parole Agent 2. New probation and parole officers start at $53,008 a year, rising to $80,646.
Pay
| Starting salary | $53,008 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $80,646 |
| Scale effective | 2026-07-01 |
Pay group 06 on a 37.5-hour week ($56,541 to $86,022 on a 40-hour week), July 1, 2026 schedule.
Source:[pa.gov]
Pay for this work across Pennsylvania
Federal survey figures for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists in Pennsylvania, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from the state's own pay scale above.
| People in this work | 4,310 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $48,340 |
| Median pay | $67,370 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $89,750 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Education: Four years of paraprofessional experience including two years of paraprofessional social services, human services, corrections, or law enforcement experience; or two years of such experience and an associate's degree; or a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, law enforcement, legal studies, political science, behavioral science, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of experience and training.
- Active non-commercial Pennsylvania Class C driver's license or equivalent
- Must obtain CLEAN certification within two months of employment and maintain it
- Work includes arresting offenders for probation or parole violations
- Adult probation is run by counties; county probation and parole departments fall under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), not DOC (except Mercer and Venango counties, overseen by the Mercer District Parole Office)
Source:[careers.employment.pa.gov]
Hiring process
- Apply to a Parole Agent 1 posting on the Commonwealth employment site
- Civil service evaluation of minimum experience and training
- Interview and selection
- Formal classroom instruction and on-the-job training as a trainee; CLEAN certification within two months
Source:[careers.employment.pa.gov]
Academy
Length not published. Job spec describes Parole Agent 1 as trainee-level work with formal classroom instruction and practical on-the-job training; academy length not stated.[careers.employment.pa.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Pennsylvania SERS, Class A-3 (or elect A-4), enforcement-officer category (exempt from Act 5 hybrid/DC choice)
- When you can retire: Superannuation at age 55 (enforcement-officer category, Class A-3/A-4)
Source:[sers.pa.gov]