To become a corrections officer in Texas, you apply directly to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, pass a written test and structured interview, clear a background check and physical agility test, and complete a paid six-week training academy. Starting pay is $52,441 a year at most units, and no college or prior experience is required.
Who Qualifies
You need a high school diploma from an accredited school or a GED, and you must be authorized to work in the United States.1Texas Department of Criminal Justice. TDCJ Correctional Officer Eligibility Criteria A valid driver’s license is required. Before you get a final offer, you’ll have to pass a drug test and a physical agility test.
Criminal history is where most applicants get filtered out. Felony convictions and deferred adjudication for felonies are automatic disqualifiers. Certain misdemeanors, particularly those involving domestic or family violence, also disqualify you. TDCJ treats deferred adjudication, probation, and a paid fine as a conviction for hiring purposes; only expunged or dismissed charges truly come off the record for screening.2Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Basic Eligibility Criteria for Employment with TDCJ If your record is borderline, pull your own criminal history report before applying so you know what TDCJ will see.
How to Apply
The whole process runs through TDCJ’s online portal. You create an account, complete the State of Texas Application for Employment, the TDCJ Employment Application Supplement (PERS 282), and the Statement of Availability form (PERS 282b), then upload your supporting documents.3Texas Department of Criminal Justice. TDCJ Employment Application Forms
Have your paperwork ready before you start. You’ll need the original Social Security card issued by the Social Security Administration and documents proving you finished high school or earned a GED. Include any college transcripts if you have them.4Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Required Documents Federal I-9 rules apply on your first day, so you’ll also present identity and work-authorization documents then.
The Written Test and Interview
Qualified applicants take the Correctional Officer Pre-Employment Test (COPT). It has five sections: memory and observation, situational reasoning, reading comprehension and deductive reasoning, verbal reasoning, and arithmetic.5Texas Department of Criminal Justice. PD-73 – Selection Criteria for Correctional Officer Applicants TDCJ doesn’t publish study material because the test measures baseline cognitive skills, not corrections knowledge. Armed forces veterans are exempt from the written test.
Pass the COPT and you move to a structured interview with a TDCJ recruiter. The interviewer scores motivation, communication, interpersonal ability, and personal integrity on a standardized form, and background check results factor into the composite score.5Texas Department of Criminal Justice. PD-73 – Selection Criteria for Correctional Officer Applicants A physical agility test is part of the eligibility check before you get a conditional offer.
The Training Academy
New hires attend the TDCJ Pre-Service Training Academy, roughly 240 hours of curriculum and administrative instruction.6Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Frequently Asked Questions: Correctional Officer Position The academy covers defensive tactics, firearms, chemical agents, CPR and first aid, physical training, non-violent crisis intervention, and use-of-force standards. You’re paid during training, and TDCJ provides uniforms, equipment, and laundry at no cost.1Texas Department of Criminal Justice. TDCJ Correctional Officer Eligibility Criteria
You have to pass a comprehensive final exam and physical performance tests to graduate. If you don’t complete the academy, you don’t get your commission. The six-week schedule runs full-time whether you were hired for a full-time or part-time position.7Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Part-Time Correctional Officer Program
What the Job Pays
TDCJ moves officers up an automatic career ladder based on months of service. As of September 1, 2025, the full-time schedule is:
- CO I (0–2 months): $52,441 a year at non-maximum-security units, $54,014 at maximum-security units
- CO I (3–6 months): $53,779 / $55,393
- CO II (7–12 months): $55,052 / $56,704
- CO III (13–24 months): $56,455 / $58,149
- CO III (25–36 months): $57,947 / $59,685
- CO III (37–72 months): $59,438 / $61,221
- Senior CO (73+ months): $63,072 / $64,965
The early raises come quickly: one within a few months of leaving the academy, another at six months, another at one year, then two years.8Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Correctional Officer Salary Officers at maximum-security facilities earn an additional 3% differential on base salary; TDCJ currently classifies 23 units as maximum security.9Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Pay Increase for Maximum Security Unit Employees
Hazardous duty pay adds $12 per month for each completed year of hazardous duty service, capped at $300 per month, and it doesn’t start until you’ve completed 12 months.10Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Hazardous Duty Pay Small at first, it reaches the cap at 25 years and adds $3,600 to your annual pay.
Benefits and Leave
Officers participate in the Employees Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit pension. You contribute 9.5% of your pretax salary each month and the state contributes 10.0%.11Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retirement Benefits Health insurance runs through ERS, with the state paying the majority of the premium.
Sick leave accrues at 8 hours a month from your first day, with no cap on how much you can bank.12Texas Department of Criminal Justice. ERS Health/Life Insurance Benefits Vacation also accrues at 8 hours a month for officers with fewer than two years of service, but you can’t use it until six continuous months on the job.13Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Vacation Accrual Rate Any vacation balance above 180 hours at the end of the fiscal year rolls into sick leave.
Moving Up
The CO I through Senior CO ladder is automatic, based on time in service and satisfactory performance. After Senior CO, further advancement means applying for posted supervisory vacancies. Monthly salaries as of September 2025:
- Sergeant: $5,491 per month ($5,656 at maximum-security units)
- Lieutenant: $5,738 ($5,911)
- Captain: $6,009 ($6,189)
- Major: $6,440 ($6,634)
Supervisory roles are competitive and posted as vacancies open.14Texas Department of Criminal Justice. TDCJ Corrections as a Career Assistant Warden and Warden positions are posted annually, and applications stay on file until the posting expires. Advancement beyond the line ranks generally requires a clean disciplinary record and a willingness to transfer to whichever unit has an opening.