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Corrections Officer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a corrections officer is $108,200 per annum, before tax, up $22,900 since 2018.
- Corrections officers are usually employed under a state or territory enterprise agreement, so classification steps, allowances and conditions differ depending on which service you join.
- Shift penalties and overtime account for much of the difference in take-home pay, and higher duties, specialist posts or a posting in a remote or regional centre add to the base rate.
- Pay also rises with your classification, which moves up with further training and years of service.
The median salary rose by $22,900 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than corrections officer
The largest typical pay rise is $58,200 a year, moving into Correctional Facility Manager.
- Correctional Facility Manager+$58,200/yr
- Police Officer+$24,900/yr
How to negotiate a higher corrections officer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time corrections officer salary is $108,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Risk assessment and Emergency response tend to command a premium over general corrections officer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Correctional Facility Manager pays a typical $58,200 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Corrections Officer salary questions
How much do corrections officers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a corrections officer is $108,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is corrections officer pay rising or falling?
The median corrections officer salary is up $22,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than corrections officer?
Correctional Facility Manager pays a typical $58,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to corrections officer.
Related salaries
- Security Guard salary
- Police Officer salary
- Probation Officer salary
- Correctional Facility Manager salary
- Youth Worker salary
- Defence Force Member salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.