Prison officer
Also called gaoler, jailer, turnkey
Prison officers supervise inmates in a correctional facility and ensure the security and peace-keeping in the facility. They perform checks and searches to ensure compliance to regulations, monitor visitations and the activities of inmates as well as participate in programs of rehabilitation, and ensure records maintenance.
What you'd do
Prison guards · ILO- Searching arriving prisoners, putting their valuables in safekeeping, escorting prisoners to cells and locking them in
- Making periodic inspection tours of cells and inspecting and maintaining the security of locks, windows, doors and gates
- Supervising prisoners at work and meals, and during recreation periods
- Observing the conduct and behaviour of prisoners to prevent disturbances and escapes
- Patrolling prison areas to prevent escapes
- Assisting with the implementation of rehabilitation programmes
- Escorting prisoners in transit and during temporary leave
- Indoors
- A mix of sitting and standing
- Constant contact with people, including the public
- Good freedom to decide
- Usually 40 hours a week
- Deadlines most weeks
- Very repetitive tasks
Will there be jobs?
Yes, good prospects12 EU countries are short of prison guards now, but fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
What does it pay?
Below averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €700 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,400 (Belgium), before tax.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.
Among service and sales workers in the EU, women earn 3% less per hour than men. Service and sales workers · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Upper secondary or vocationalUpper secondary or vocational training in protection of persons and property is the usual route.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
Very littleAI could help with only small parts of the tasks.
Average task score 0.14 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 7 tasks
Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for prison guards. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).