Correctional Nurse salary
A correctional nurse earns about $95,470 a year — roughly $45.90/hour, with most earning between $77,510 and $102,800. This is an estimate — a starting point, not an exact figure.
Correctional Nurse — U.S. national
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$95,470
Hourly
$45.90/hr
- Typical range
- $77,510–$102,800
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $138,030
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $67,350
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- Facility type (federal prison, state prison, county jail)
- Government employment vs contracted health vendor
- Hazard and shift differentials
- Night, weekend, and holiday coverage
- CCHP certification and corrections experience
About Correctional Nurses
What they do
Correctional nurses are often the primary healthcare providers incarcerated people see. They screen every new arrival at intake, run daily medication passes for large populations, manage high rates of diabetes, hypertension, hepatitis, and psychiatric conditions, and respond first to overdoses, assaults, and other emergencies inside the facility — all under security protocols with limited immediate physician backup.
How to become a Correctional Nurse
Correctional nursing requires an active RN license, and facilities generally prefer candidates with emergency, psychiatric, or medical-surgical experience because the population presents a wide, unpredictable mix of conditions. The field's dedicated credential is the Certified Correctional Health Professional (CCHP); new hires also complete facility security training, and comfort working within strict custody procedures matters as much as clinical skill.
What drives the pay
No separate category exists for correctional nurses in public wage data, so these figures are modeled from registered nurse pay and marked as specialty estimates. Earnings usually run slightly above to near the RN baseline: many facilities pay hazard differentials for a secure setting, staffing shortages push agencies to offer premiums, and round-the-clock coverage keeps shift differentials in play — while government roles add pension value hourly comparisons understate.
Correctional Nurse pay by state
Estimated correctional nurse pay where this role tends to earn the most. Open a state for the full local picture.
| State | Est. annual pay | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| California | $131,750 | +38% vs national |
| Hawaii | $114,570 | +20% vs national |
| Alaska | $112,660 | +18% vs national |
| Oregon | $112,660 | +18% vs national |
| Washington | $112,660 | +18% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $109,790 | +15% vs national |
| New York | $107,880 | +13% vs national |
| District of Columbia | $106,930 | +12% vs national |
Compare next
Roles nurses weigh against this one.
Correctional Nurse salary FAQ
- How much do Correctional Nurses make?
- Correctional Nurses earn an estimated $95,470 a year — about $45.90 an hour, with most between $77,510 and $102,800. Correctional Nurses aren't reported as a separate role in public wage data, so this is a specialty estimate that starts from registered nurse pay.
- What is the hourly pay for Correctional Nurses?
- Most Correctional Nurses are paid an hourly wage. The national estimate works out to about $45.90 an hour at a full-time schedule, with a typical range of $37.26 to $49.42. Nights, weekends, and overtime differentials push the real hourly rate higher.
- Which state pays Correctional Nurses the most?
- California is among the highest-paying states for Correctional Nurses, at roughly $131,750 a year, followed by other West Coast and Northeast states. State figures are estimates based on national pay and local cost of living.
- Why is Correctional Nurse pay shown as an estimate?
- No public source measures Correctional Nurses as a separate occupation, so we start from registered nurse pay and apply the pay difference these nurses typically see. The figure is clearly labeled an estimate and sharpens as nurses submit their own pay.
- Why are some figures verified and others estimates?
- National pay for the main nursing roles — registered nurses, LPNs/LVNs, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, nurse midwives, and nursing assistants — comes from verified public wage data. State, city, and specialty figures that aren't reported on their own start from that national pay and are labeled "Estimated" or "Specialty estimate." We never show an estimate as a verified figure.
Source & confidence— An estimate for a specialty that public pay data does not list on its own. A ballpark to start from, not an exact figure.
Modeled specialty estimate
Correctional Nurse is not broken out by BLS. Figures are modeled from the SOC 29-1141 median using a specialty differential of 1.02×, reflecting commonly reported pay differences. Treat as directional, not precise.
Source year 2024. Last reviewed June 1, 2025. Full methodology
This role isn’t broken out in public wage data, so the figure starts from registered nurse pay and sharpens as nurses submit their pay. Last reviewed June 1, 2025.