7 of the Most Popular Types of Inmate Jobs in 2026

See what kind of roles similar to Inmate jobs are hiring now

Top Types Of Inmate Jobs

• Inmate Commissary

  Salary range: $43,000 - $59,500

  Inmate Commissary is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Inmate Commissary jobs pay between $43,000 (25th percentile) and $59,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Inmate Commissary job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Correctional Officer

  Salary range: $46,000 - $60,000

  Correctional officers mainly work in prisons. Their duties include processing new prisoners, ensuring the security of the facility, and keeping the incidents of violence among inmates under control. They also conduct periodic searches for weapons and contraband.

• Prison Reentry

  Salary range: $40,000 - $122,500

  Prison Reentry is a typical job search query Most salaries for Prison Reentry jobs pay between $40,000 (25th percentile) and $122,500 (75th percentile) annually. There are plenty of open positions nationwide for Prison Reentry job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Jail Intake

  Salary range: $37,500 - $43,000

  Jail Intake is a typical job search query Most salaries for Jail Intake jobs pay between $37,500 (25th percentile) and $43,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Jail Intake job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Jailer

  Salary range: $44,000 - $44,000

  A jailer or correctional officer enforces the rules and regulations and maintains order within a prison or jail. In this career, you supervise all inmate activities, such as recreation and meal times. Your responsibilities also include making routine inspections of inmates’ cells and personal belongings, confiscating any contraband you find, including weapons, cell phones, or unauthorized reading material, and ensuring that the cell is secure. In addition to monitoring prisoners, you also log your actions and write reports regarding inmates and their behavior.

• Montford Unit

  Salary range: $31,000 - $44,000

  Montford Unit is a typical job search query Most salaries for Montford Unit jobs pay between $31,000 (25th percentile) and $44,000 (75th percentile) annually. Take a look at the variety of open positions nationwide for Montford Unit job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Federal Prison

  Salary range: $48,000 - $67,500

  Federal prison jobs include a wide variety of positions focused on overseeing and providing services to inmates. Aside from the well-known correctional officer and guard positions, federal prisons also employ dentists, nurses, psychologists, physicians, secretaries, electronic technicians, and many other professionals. What all of these careers have in common is that they're government jobs, so you must uphold the expectations of justice, respond to orders from a court, and otherwise provide a high standard of care and service for each inmate. Outside of the government, some federal prison workers come from non-profit organizations. For example, you can find prison chaplain positions through religious non-profit groups.