Community and Social Service Occupations·SOC 21-1092

Best degree programs for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists, ranked by enrollment

1 college programs and 786 schools train Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $66,270 median wage, 89,390 U.S. jobs. Federal data.

1 college programs at 786 schools train probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, graduating 56,891 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Social Work. The job pays a median of $66,270 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Graduates / yr
56,891
from every feeder program
Median annual wage
$66,270
BLS OEWS May 2025
Projected growth
+2.6%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr
7,900
new plus replacement
Schools
786
with a feeder program
States with jobs
46
BLS reports wages

About probation officers and correctional treatment specialists

Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.

Also calledProbation OfficerParole Officer (PO)Correctional CounselorJuvenile Probation OfficerCourt WorkerParole AgentPeople OfficerTruant OfficerProbation AgentDetention WorkerJuvenile OfficerProbation Worker

Fields of study that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.

Public Administration And Social Service Professions
CIP 44.07
Social Work
56,891graduates / yr
786 schools · 1 specialization · 100.0% of pipeline
Grad earnings $37,264

1 degree programs that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
Social Work
CIP 44.0701
56,891
100.0%
786$37,264$26,140

Top 50 schools by graduates into this job

Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Walden University
Minneapolis, MN Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1,740Social Work———
2University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
1,355Social Work71%—93%
3The University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
895Social Work54%—80%
4Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs
765Social Work84%—58%
5Aurora University
Aurora, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
745Social Work60%$18,43181%
6Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
731Social Work43%$21,53579%
7CUNY Hunter College
New York, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
643Social Work57%—54%
8Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
625Social Work96%$15,3154%
9Ohio State University - Main Campus
Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
572Social Work88%—61%
10Indiana University - Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder programs
565Social Work54%—76%
11Fordham University
Bronx, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
564Social Work82%$38,93159%
12University of Denver
Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
556Social Work76%$29,72678%
13University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI Public · 1 feeder programs
507Social Work93%—16%
14University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
487Social Work92%$26,87310%
15Simmons University
Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
483Social Work72%$24,84870%
16Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, LA Public · 1 feeder programs
456Social Work69%—73%
17Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
452Social Work63%—93%
18Portland State University
Portland, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
427Social Work53%—91%
19The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Knoxville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
418Social Work74%—42%
20Yeshiva University
New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
399Social Work83%$39,69656%
21New York University
New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
379Social Work88%$29,0239%
22California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder programs
365Social Work53%—91%
23University of Massachusetts Global
Aliso Viejo, CA Public · 1 feeder programs
355Social Work43%——
24Wayne State University
Detroit, MI Public · 1 feeder programs
354Social Work58%—81%
25Boston University
Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
346Social Work89%$21,95611%
26Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global
Marion, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
346Social Work35%$18,316—
27University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus
Norman, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
338Social Work75%—77%
28Boise State University
Boise, ID Public · 1 feeder programs
329Social Work60%—87%
29University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
321Social Work78%—40%
30University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder programs
320Social Work85%—58%
31California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA Public · 1 feeder programs
317Social Work69%—46%
32Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
317Social Work65%$28,91199%
33University of Nevada - Reno
Reno, NV Public · 1 feeder programs
317Social Work61%—74%
34Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs
306Social Work68%—90%
35Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
296Social Work76%—49%
36Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
294Social Work73%$33,45482%
37Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO Public · 1 feeder programs
293Social Work32%—99%
38San Jose State University
San Jose, CA Public · 1 feeder programs
287Social Work69%—85%
39Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Scottsdale, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs
283Social Work0%—67%
40University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT Public · 1 feeder programs
283Social Work65%—86%
41University of Maryland, Baltimore
Baltimore, MD Public · 1 feeder programs
282Social Work———
42The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
269Social Work51%—94%
43Western New Mexico University
Silver City, NM Public · 1 feeder programs
263Social Work32%——
44University of Houston
Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
261Social Work65%—74%
45University of South Florida
Tampa, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
261Social Work77%—43%
46University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign
Champaign, IL Public · 1 feeder programs
257Social Work85%—42%
47University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS Public · 1 feeder programs
253Social Work69%—93%
48University of Louisville
Louisville, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
253Social Work61%—79%
49Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
251Social Work91%$21,12616%
50Salisbury University
Salisbury, MD Public · 1 feeder programs
249Social Work68%—87%

What probation officers and correctional treatment specialists earn

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual wage
$66,270
Mean annual
$73,130
Median hourly
$31.86/hr
People employed
89,390
What the range looks like
10th pct$46,840Median$66,27090th pct$107,790

Top-paying metro areas

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$144,410median
560 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$135,890median
830 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$100,690median
1,250 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$97,410median
140 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$108,150median
4,700 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$92,880median
530 jobs
St. Cloud, MN
$103,770median
60 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$96,970median
1,260 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+2.6%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
7,900
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
2,400
92,300 → 94,800
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Plus moderate-term on-the-job training

Where the jobs are, state by state

Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.

This occupation state by state: pay, jobs, and schools
StateMedian payJobsConcentrationSchoolsGraduates / yr
New York$80,3504,3600.78×355,167
California$103,64013,9001.33×374,571
Texas$52,8808,1001.00×483,615
Minnesota$81,5802,0401.20×292,994
Illinois$74,3902,5900.74×362,620
Michigan$79,7602,1900.86×302,446
Ohio$61,1203,3101.04×602,437
Kentucky$59,6108300.73×152,415
Pennsylvania$67,3704,3101.24×442,214
Massachusetts$94,5901,2000.57×191,947
New Jersey$80,2802,8901.17×241,745
Arizona$60,9101,1000.59×161,707
North Carolina$62,2203,3101.17×241,517
Florida$50,9604,4900.79×151,479
Indiana$60,1702,2701.23×221,314
Virginia$58,8202,7301.15×141,299
Colorado$71,6802,5401.54×81,260
Tennessee$58,0102,1201.12×191,062
Louisiana$62,9109800.88×10915
Connecticut$97,3501,2001.23×11880
Alabama$61,0501,0800.89×17878
Maryland$76,3901,3700.86×10810
Georgia$60,2702,6500.94×14755
Missouri$46,8402,2901.36×21722
Kansas$61,8907600.92×13685
Idaho$59,7807601.54×8607
Oregon$84,9201,2601.12×8549
Iowa$77,3909501.06×21507
Mississippi$34,1101500.22×17506
Nevadamoderate$75,8407800.88×3504
Washington$82,7502,1501.06×8496
Oklahoma$50,3808700.88×7477
Arkansas$51,1808501.13×11461
New Mexico$66,0006201.23×8408
West Virginia$53,1208902.21×8344
South Carolina$56,7804600.35×5299
Maine$71,1401600.43×5271
Nebraska$63,4605600.95×6255
Montana$59,7503601.23×6211
Hawaiimoderate$73,830400.11×3205
North Dakota$65,1402501.02×5189
Delawarelimited$81,8803801.38×1105
Vermontmoderate$83,8201901.06×396
Alaskalimited$77,0004802.57×278
Wyomingmoderate$56,5802001.23×371
South Dakotamoderate$66,8702801.06×321

Skills and tools

From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.

What they do day to day

  • Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
  • Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
  • Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
  • Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
  • Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.
  • Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
  • Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.
  • Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.

Skills

  • Active Listening4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Reading Comprehension3.9
  • Critical Thinking3.9
  • Writing3.8
  • Monitoring3.8
  • Active Learning3.4
  • Learning Strategies2.3

Knowledge areas

  • Law and Government4.4
  • Public Safety and Security4.3
  • English Language4.1
  • Psychology4.1
  • Therapy and Counseling4.0
  • Sociology and Anthropology3.6

Abilities

  • Oral Expression4.1
  • Problem Sensitivity4.0
  • Written Comprehension4.0
  • Deductive Reasoning4.0
  • Inductive Reasoning3.9
  • Oral Comprehension3.9

Core activities

  • Getting Information4.8
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.5
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.4
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.4
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.3
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.3

Tools and technology

hotmarks an O*NET hot technology
FacebookhotMicrosoft AccesshotMicrosoft ExcelhotMicrosoft Office softwarehotMicrosoft OutlookhotMicrosoft PowerPointhotMicrosoft WordhotAppointment scheduling softwareCase management softwareCorel WordPerfect Office Suite

How to get in

How to become a Probation Officer

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 1 majors mapped to Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 44.0701Social Work

Related careers

Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.

33-3012
Correctional Officers and Jailers
$58,940380,500 jobs-7.8%
21-1021
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
$59,550392,550 jobs+3.4%
33-1011
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
$77,97053,380 jobs-2.8%
21-1015
Rehabilitation Counselors
$46,85094,740 jobs+1.4%
21-1023
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
$60,280132,810 jobs+9.7%
21-1093
Social and Human Service Assistants
$45,930437,860 jobs+6.4%

Common questions

What degree do you need to become a Probation Officer?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Social Work, which awarded 56,891 degrees in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Probation Officer?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Social Work. Together they graduate about 56,891 people a year.

How much do probation officers and correctional treatment specialists earn?+

The median is $66,270 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $46,840 at the 10th percentile to $107,790 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists growing?+

BLS projects a +2.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 7,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career?+

786 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Probation Officer, Parole Officer (PO), Correctional Counselor, Juvenile Probation Officer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 21-1092.

↑ Zoom outAll occupationsCommunity and Social Service Occupations
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists by stateNew YorkCaliforniaTexasMinnesotaIllinoisMichiganOhioKentuckyPennsylvaniaMassachusettsNew JerseyArizona
Related careersCorrectional Officers and JailersChild, Family, and School Social WorkersFirst-Line Supervisors of Correctional OfficersRehabilitation CounselorsMental Health and Substance Abuse Social WorkersSocial and Human Service Assistants
Programs that lead hereSocial Work

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

    Official source →

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

    Official source →

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

    Official source →

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

    Official source →

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

    Official source →

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

    Official source →

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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