How to Become a Correctional Officer in Maryland

By Harold RoldanUpdated May 20, 2026

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To become a correctional officer in Maryland, you need a high school diploma or GED, U.S. citizenship or resident alien status, and you must be at least 21 at hire (or 18 with an honorable military discharge) to qualify with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS). After applying, you sit for a written assessment and virtual interview, pass a background investigation, and complete the Correctional Entrance Level Training Program (CELTP) at one of three Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission academies in Sykesville, Hagerstown, or Cumberland. Maryland correctional officers earn a median annual wage of $62,380 according to May 2024 BLS data, about $4,430 above the national median. One current note for 2026: Governor Wes Moore has announced a hiring freeze for the Executive Branch as part of the FY26 Budget, which affects state DPSCS positions specifically. County sheriff's offices and the federal Bureau of Prisons run separate hiring tracks not subject to the state freeze, so where you apply matters more this year than in most.

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Key Points

Maryland correctional officers earn a median annual wage of $62,380 ($29.99 per hour) according to BLS May 2024 data, with an entry wage near $55,550 and an experienced wage near $69,160.
State DPSCS positions require age 21 at hire, while several Maryland county sheriff's offices accept applicants at 18 with one year of work experience.
All Maryland correctional officers must complete training certified by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission (MPCTC) under COMAR Title 12, Subtitle 10, Chapter 01.
The MPCTC Correctional Entrance Level Training Program runs roughly 7 to 8 weeks at academies in Sykesville, Hagerstown, or Cumberland.
New DPSCS hires receive a $5,000 hire incentive ($2,000 after academy + $3,000 after probation), plus a $2,500 regional bonus for Hagerstown, Cumberland, or Eastern Shore assignments.

What a Correctional Officer Does in Maryland

A correctional officer in Maryland is a sworn public safety professional who supervises individuals confined in state, county, or federal correctional facilities. DPSCS alone operates 26 correctional facilities across the state, and county sheriff's offices run additional detention centers serving pretrial and short-sentence populations.

Day-to-day responsibilities include:

Monitoring incarcerated individuals during shift rotations, including counts, meals, recreation, and visitation.
Conducting cell, person, and area searches to detect contraband.
Responding to medical emergencies, fights, and facility incidents using trained de-escalation and defensive tactics.
Documenting incidents, disciplinary actions, and shift activities in written reports that can be used in legal proceedings.
Supervising movement of incarcerated individuals to court appearances, medical visits, or program activities.

Most Maryland correctional officers work rotating shifts covering mornings, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Officers must also complete an annual physical recertification that demonstrates the strength, agility, and endurance needed for defensive tactics.

Maryland Correctional Officer Salary

Maryland correctional officers and jailers earned a median annual wage of $62,380, or $29.99 per hour, according to May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data. The state's mean annual wage was $64,670. Entry-level officers earned around $55,550, while experienced officers earned around $69,160.

Maryland pays above the national median. The national figure for correctional officers and jailers was $57,950 annually, or $27.86 per hour, in May 2024 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Wages within Maryland vary by employer:

DPSCS state positions: Salaries follow the state Correctional Salary Schedule. New hires receive a $5,000 hire incentive paid in two installments, plus a $2,500 regional bonus for Hagerstown, Cumberland, or Eastern Shore facilities.
Frederick County Sheriff's Office: $56,201.60 entry-level, $61,817.60 for lateral hires, plus shift differential and premium pay (Frederick County, current posting).
Allegany County Sheriff's Office: $47,646 starting salary at the Allegany County Detention Center.
Federal Bureau of Prisons (FCI Cumberland): Officers typically enter at GS-5 or GS-6 on the federal pay scale, with significantly higher mid-career pay than state averages.

Nationally, the BLS projects a 7% decline in correctional officer employment from 2024 to 2034, with about 31,900 openings projected each year on average, driven primarily by replacement demand from retirements and turnover. Before committing to one track, it helps to see how correctional officer pay and timelines stack up against adjacent public safety and vocational paths in your area. You can compare programs across the U.S. on Dreambound.

How to Become a Correctional Officer in Maryland

The path to becoming a Maryland correctional officer runs through five sequenced stages. Most candidates move from application to academy graduation in roughly four to six months when nothing in the background process slows down.

Step 1: Confirm You Meet Maryland's Eligibility Requirements

DPSCS minimum qualifications for the Correctional Officer I classification are set under COMAR Title 12, Subtitle 10, Chapter 01 and the Correctional Services Article, Section 8-209. You must:

Be at least 21 years old at the time of hire (or 18 with an honorable discharge from any branch of the U.S. military).
Hold a high school diploma or a GED recognized by the Maryland State Board of Education.
Be a U.S. citizen or resident alien.
Have no military separations less than honorable.
Pass a physical examination, fingerprint check, polygraph examination, psychological assessment, and substance abuse screening per COMAR 17.04.09.

County sheriff's offices set their own minimums on top of the state baseline. Baltimore County and Montgomery County both accept applicants at 18, and Montgomery County also requires one year of prior work experience. Federal BOP positions require U.S. citizenship and applicants must be under the BOP entry age cap.

Step 2: Apply Through DPSCS or a County Sheriff's Office

State applications run through the Maryland State Online Employment Center on the DPSCS site. Note that the FY26 state hiring freeze affects DPSCS positions. County sheriff's offices in Frederick, Baltimore, Montgomery, Allegany, St. Mary's, and other jurisdictions hire independently through their own application portals and are not subject to the state freeze.

Pick the track based on where you can realistically commute, the pay scale, and current open postings. Federal BOP positions at FCI Cumberland go through USAJOBS.gov.

Step 3: Pass the Written Exam, Interview, and Background Investigation

For DPSCS, candidates who meet minimum qualifications are scheduled for a virtual written assessment and virtual interview. DPSCS publishes a Correctional Officer Hiring Guide that candidates are encouraged to review beforehand.

After both portions, you will be assigned to the Background Investigative Section, which runs a full investigation covering criminal history, employment history, credit, references, and polygraph. Many county offices, including Frederick County, also administer the National Corrections Officer Selection Test (NCST), with a 70% minimum to advance. Plan for the background phase to take six to ten weeks once it begins.

Step 4: Complete the MPCTC Correctional Entrance Level Training Program

After conditional offer, recruits attend the Correctional Entrance Level Training Program (CELTP) operated by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission (MPCTC). DPSCS describes the academy as approximately six weeks of classroom and physical fitness training. The MPCTC 2026 schedule shows sessions running roughly seven to eight weeks at three regional academies:

Sykesville (primary location, multiple sessions per month)
Hagerstown
Cumberland

Recruits receive their regular pay while in training and are not required to live on site. The curriculum covers security procedures, inmate management, self-defense, ethics, emergency response, legal aspects of corrections, and firearms training for officers hired or reinstated on or after July 1, 2016.

Step 5: Pass Probation and Earn Your Hire Incentives

After academy graduation, you complete on-the-job training and a probationary period at the facility you are assigned to. DPSCS pays the $5,000 hire incentive in two installments: $2,000 after academy graduation and $3,000 after probation. The $2,500 regional bonus applies if you accept an assignment at a Hagerstown, Cumberland, or Eastern Shore facility. DPSCS employees who refer a successful hire can also earn a $500 referral finder's fee.

Correctional officers must complete annual physical recertification and continuing training to stay certified by the MPCTC.

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State, County, or Federal: Three Tracks for Maryland Correctional Officers

Maryland has three distinct correctional officer employer tracks, each with different age rules, pay scales, academies, and hiring cycles. Picking the right track upfront can save months of waiting for the wrong one to open.

State track: DPSCS (Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services). Operates 26 correctional facilities across the state. Sets the 21-at-hire minimum (or 18 with honorable military discharge). Pays per the state Correctional Salary Schedule plus the $5,000 hire incentive and $2,500 regional bonus. Currently affected by the FY26 Executive Branch hiring freeze. Academy: MPCTC CELTP at Sykesville, Hagerstown, or Cumberland.

County track: County sheriff's offices and county departments of corrections. Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Baltimore County Department of Corrections, Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, Allegany County Sheriff's Office, St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, and others. Several accept applicants at 18. Pay scales vary by county. Not affected by the state hiring freeze. Officers must still meet MPCTC certification guidelines within one year of appointment.

While the county track sits outside the state freeze, federal corrections operates on its own hiring cycle entirely.

Federal track: Federal Bureau of Prisons. Operates FCI Cumberland in Cumberland, Maryland, plus two Residential Re-entry Management offices in Annapolis Junction. Higher pay over a career through the federal GS pay scale, but a hard age cap and a U.S. citizenship requirement per BOP entry policy. Training runs through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia.

If state DPSCS hiring is on pause during the FY26 freeze, county sheriff's offices and the federal BOP are the two paths that remain open.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you become a correctional officer in Maryland with a felony?

A felony conviction does not automatically disqualify every applicant in Maryland, but it is a high barrier. DPSCS runs a full background investigation that includes criminal history, polygraph, and psychological assessment, and final decisions are made case by case under COMAR 12.10.01 selection standards. Some felony offenses, particularly those involving violence, dishonesty, or controlled dangerous substances, are typically disqualifying. Candidates with any criminal history should contact the DPSCS Human Resources Services Division at 410-585-3999 to confirm whether they can proceed before investing time in the application.

How long is the Maryland correctional officer training academy?

The Correctional Entrance Level Training Program (CELTP) runs approximately six weeks per the DPSCS description, with the MPCTC 2026 calendar showing actual academy classes running about seven to eight weeks from onset to graduation. Recruits train at one of three locations: Sykesville, Hagerstown, or Cumberland. Recruits receive their regular state pay during training and are not required to live on site at the academy.

What is on the Maryland correctional officer entrance exam?

DPSCS uses a virtual written assessment combined with a virtual interview as the entrance evaluation. The written portion covers basic skills used on the job, including reading comprehension, situational judgment, and written communication. Candidates are encouraged to review the DPSCS Correctional Officer Hiring Guide before the assessment. Several county sheriff's offices, including Frederick County, instead use the National Corrections Officer Selection Test (NCST), which requires a minimum score of 70% to advance.

What is the hardest part of being a correctional officer?

The most consistent challenges officers describe are physical and emotional. According to BLS, correctional officers and jailers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations, largely due to confrontations with people in custody. Beyond injury risk, the work is psychologically demanding: officers manage tense incidents on rotating shifts that include nights, weekends, and holidays, then document every significant event in writing. Maryland officers must also pass annual physical recertification covering defensive tactics, which keeps the physical demands ongoing rather than front-loaded to academy training.

Building Your Correctional Officer Career in Maryland

Maryland's correctional officer path splits cleanly into three real options: DPSCS, a county sheriff's office, or the federal Bureau of Prisons. The state freeze on Executive Branch hiring during FY26 is a current constraint, not a permanent one, and county and federal openings continue to move through their own hiring cycles independent of the state pause.

Correctional officer training in Maryland itself runs through the state-administered MPCTC academy after hiring, not through a private vocational school, so the practical first step is choosing your employer track and starting the application. If you are also weighing adjacent paths such as security officer roles, criminal justice programs, EMT training, or paralegal work, Dreambound is a free platform that helps you compare training programs for those careers across the United States.

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