How to Become a Parole Officer

If you'd like to learn how to become a parole officer, you've come to the right place. We've gathered the qualifications and requirements, job description, salary information, education and training programs you'll need, as well as advice that will help you on your way to becoming a parole officer.

Parole Officer Requirements and Qualifications

1) To become a parole officer, you must earn a bachelor degree. Commonly held degrees for parole officers include criminal justice, corrections, social work, psychology, counseling, sociology, business administration and related degrees. Federal parole officers are often required to have at least one year of graduate work in counseling, psychology, social work or a related field.

Ashford University offers bachelor's degrees in both psychology and sociology, and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Click here to request free information about their programs.

2) Minimum Parole Officer Requirements: Most state and county parole jobs will require you to be at least 20 years old and hold a bachelor degree. Federal jobs require at least a year of graduate degree work, but you must also have a valid state driver's license, complete required training and certifications as required by state, county and federal regulations. You'll also be required to have a license to carry a firearm in your state, pass a background investigation and drug screening, and pass a psychological exam. Some states require at least two years of work experience in a corrections or counseling that has given you experience counseling and providing solutions to educational, occupational, personal or social problems.

3) Once you have met the minimum requirements, contact the department or agency for which you want to become a parole officer to request an application and exam material.

Parole Officer Job Description

Parole Officers and Probation Officers are often talked about in the same breath, but they aren't identical jobs. Parole officers work with individuals who have been released from state or federal prison prior to their actual sentence release date. This release is conditional and can be revoked for any number of infractions. A parole officer helps parolees adjust back into society and avoid any actions that would jeopardize their parole status. Parole officers accomplish this by developing a plan for the parolee before he or she is released from prison. These plans consist of employment, housing, health care, education, drug screening and other activities that help parolees' rehabilitation, and help them function in society.

Parole officers attend parole hearings and make recommendations based on their interviews and surveillance of parolees. The work load is heavy; on average a parole office will have 70 to 130 active cases. This line of work can be dangerous, as parole officers work with paroled convicts, their friends and families. This is why parole officers are required to carry firearms. A parole officer is most often employed by their state department of corrections, state criminal justice department, a youth authority/juvenile corrections, county or federal justice department.

Parole Officer Salary and Job Outlook

Parole officer salaries vary depending on experience and education. According to salary.com, the median parole officer salary in the U.S. was $50,266 in 2011. Our own research found that annual salaries ranged from around $30,000 to $58,000 and more for adult and juvenile parole officers. Federal Parole Officers can be promoted up to the GS-13 pay grade, which ranged from $71,674 to $93,175 in 2011. Promotions to this level can take some time. The best thing to do is excel in your current position and get more education.

The job outlook for parole officers looks solid. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that job opportunities will be excellent for probation and parole officers, with job growth increasing faster than average through 2018.

Now that you know how to become a parole officer and how much you can make, get the training you need at one of the great schools below.