Job prospects Correctional Officer in Ontario

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "correctional officer" in Ontario or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Ontario

These outlooks were updated on November 29, 2023.

Moderate

The employment outlook will be moderate for Correctional service officers (NOC 43201) in Ontario for the 2023-2025 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

What Types of Employers Are Out There?

Majority employed in public administration, mainly by the provincial government
- The federal government accounts for the second highest share

What are the Main Trends Affecting Employment?

The level of job creation usually depends on public sector spending in correctional facilities
Funding allocated to strengthen recruitment should add opportunities for these professionals during the forecast period

What Skills Do I Need to Succeed?

Basic requirements for entry into the occupation include completion of provincial:
- Examinations such as the Fitness Test for Ontario Correctional Officer Applicants (FITCO)
- Corrections Foundational Training program

What other information will I find helpful?

Individuals employed in designated French Language Services (FLS) positions must be able to perform their duties in English and French; advanced level oral skills in French is required.

Here are some key facts about Correctional service officers in Ontario:

Approximately 6,350 people work in this occupation.
Correctional service officers mainly work in the following sectors:
- Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 53%
- Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 41%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
- Full-time workers: 95% compared to 81% for all occupations
- Part-time workers: 5% compared to 19% for all occupations
86% of correctional service officers work all year, while 14% work only part of the year, compared to 63% and 37% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 48 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
- Men: 69% compared to 52% for all occupations
- Women: 31% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
- no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 9% for all occupations
- high school diploma or equivalent: 19% compared to 25% for all occupations
- apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 6% compared to 8% for all occupations
- college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 52% compared to 22% for all occupations
- bachelor's degree: 21% compared to 24% for all occupations
- university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 13% for all occupations

Explore job prospects in Ontario by economic region.

Location	Job prospects
Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula Region	Moderate
Kingston–Pembroke Region	Moderate
Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie Region	Moderate
London Region	Moderate
Muskoka–Kawarthas Region	Moderate
Northeast Region	Moderate
Northwest Region	Good
Ottawa Region	Moderate
Stratford–Bruce Peninsula Region	Undetermined
Toronto Region	Moderate
Windsor-Sarnia Region	Moderate