Average Jail Officer Salary in Canada for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Jail Officer salary for 2024 in Canada and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Canadian dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the CAD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Jail Officer Make in Canada?

A Jail Officer working in Canada will typically earn around 54,700 CAD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 27,600 CAD to the highest average salary of 87,400 CAD.

Average Annual Salary
54,700 CAD
Average Monthly Salary
4,558 CAD

Lowest Annual Salary
27,600 CAD
Lowest Monthly Salary
2,300 CAD

Highest Annual Salary
87,400 CAD
Highest Monthly Salary
7,283 CAD

These are average salaries for a Jail Officer in Canada and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Jail Officer to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Jail Officer salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Jail Officer Salaries in Canada

So we've looked at the average salaries a Jail Officer will earn in Canada. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Jail Officer can earn between 27,600 CAD and 87,400 CAD on average in Canada. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Jail Officer in Canada is 58,500 CAD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 58,500 CAD, and 50% of the population earn more than 58,500 CAD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Jail Officer salary in Canada, 25% of the population are earning less than 36,400 CAD while 75% of the population earn more than 36,400 CAD.

75% of the population earn less than 76,000 CAD, and 25% of the population earn more than 76,000 CAD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Jail Officer Salary by Experience Level in Canada

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average jail officer salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Jail Officer in Canada that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 31,300 CAD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Jail Officer salary would increase to 39,700 CAD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Jail Officer, the average salary would be 56,600 CAD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 72,400 CAD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Jail Officer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 73,300 CAD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Jail Officer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 79,600 CAD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
31,300 CAD
2-5 Years +38%
39,700 CAD
5-10 Years +42%
56,600 CAD
10-15 Years +22%
72,400 CAD
15-20 Years +6%
73,300 CAD
20+ Years +9%
79,600 CAD

Jail Officer Salary by Education Level in Canada

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Jail Officer in Canada based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Jail Officer in Canada with a high school education can earn an average salary of 36,700 CAD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Jail Officer in Canada with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 65,700 CAD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
36,700 CAD
Certificate or Diploma +82%
65,700 CAD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Canada is around 49,800 to 149,000 CAD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Jail Officer Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Canada, a male jail officer will earn an average of 55,500 CAD, while a female jail officer will earn around 51,900 CAD.

This means that a male jail officer earns approximately 7% more than a female jail officer for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Canada

Male
55,500 CAD
Female -7%
51,900 CAD

Jail Officer Average Pay Raise in Canada

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Jail Officer in Canada is around 9% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Canada is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 9 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 6%

What this means is that a Jail Officer in Canada can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 6% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Canada for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Canada.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
2%
Energy
4%
Information Technology
6%
Healthcare
8%
Travel
1%
Construction
3%
Education
5%

Jail Officer Bonus and Incentive Rates in Canada

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Jail Officer is a low bonus based job, with 34% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

66% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
34%
No Bonus
66%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Canada earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
123,000 CAD
Private Sector -6%
115,600 CAD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Jail Officer

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Jail Officer in Canada.

Job Title Category Salary
Accreditation Coordinator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 98,300 CAD
Accreditation Manager Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 147,900 CAD
Advocate Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 90,900 CAD
Armed Security Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 82,200 CAD
Company Guard Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 45,100 CAD
Control Room Operator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 39,400 CAD
Correctional Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 69,200 CAD
Criminal Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 134,700 CAD
Facility Monitor Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 72,700 CAD
Fire Chief Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 134,700 CAD
Fire Dispatcher Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 61,500 CAD
Fire Education Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 111,700 CAD
Fire Extinguisher Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 42,400 CAD
Fire Fighter Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 65,900 CAD
Fire Inspector Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 124,500 CAD
Fire Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 128,200 CAD
Fire Prevention Engineer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 112,700 CAD
Fire Prevention Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 89,200 CAD
Fire Protection Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 111,700 CAD
Forensic Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 123,000 CAD
Forensic Science Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 118,900 CAD
Fraud and Forensic Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 127,700 CAD
Fraud Examiner Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 134,100 CAD
Grants Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 150,100 CAD
Intellectual Property Associate Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 111,700 CAD
Intelligence Research Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 192,600 CAD
Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 125,400 CAD
Juvenile Probation Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 91,700 CAD
Juvenile Supervision Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 95,300 CAD
Lock-Smith Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 36,400 CAD
Parole Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 65,200 CAD
Police Captain Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 156,200 CAD
Police Communications Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 86,100 CAD
Police Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 73,200 CAD
Police Patrol Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 66,200 CAD
Prison Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 51,800 CAD
Prisoner Custody Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 47,400 CAD
Private Detective / Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 134,100 CAD
Security Adviser Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 127,600 CAD
Security Guard Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 34,000 CAD
Security Management Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 189,800 CAD
Security Manager Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 177,200 CAD
Security Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 44,300 CAD
Security Supervisor Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 101,100 CAD
Security Systems Installer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 97,200 CAD
Security Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 40,300 CAD
Surveillance Operator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 48,000 CAD
Traffic Controller Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 72,700 CAD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Canada, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Brampton 51,900 CAD
Calgary 59,200 CAD
Edmonton 58,400 CAD
Gatineau 47,400 CAD
Halifax 52,000 CAD
Hamilton 55,200 CAD
Kitchener 51,400 CAD
Markham 51,400 CAD
Mississauga 54,900 CAD
Montreal 58,700 CAD
Ottawa 57,000 CAD
Quebec 55,200 CAD
Regina 49,000 CAD
Richmond 49,300 CAD
Saskatoon 46,700 CAD
Surrey 52,800 CAD
Toronto 60,500 CAD
Vancouver 59,200 CAD
Vaughan 51,600 CAD
Windsor 49,700 CAD
Winnipeg 54,600 CAD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in Canada.

City Average Salary
Alberta 59,200 CAD
British Columbia 60,100 CAD
Manitoba 55,300 CAD
New Brunswick 50,600 CAD
Newfoundland-Labrador 49,700 CAD
Northwest Territories 58,600 CAD
Nova Scotia 52,300 CAD
Nunavut 60,400 CAD
Ontario 64,100 CAD
Prince Edward Island 48,000 CAD
Quebec 63,100 CAD
Saskatchewan 55,600 CAD
Yukon 50,300 CAD

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