Correction Officer

Correction Officer · Department of Correction

Security and custody work in NYC jails. $0 to apply, 21 to be appointed.

Minimum salary $56,838 a year, reaching $109,352 after five and a half years, plus a $1,100 yearly uniform allowance, per the Notice of Examination for Exam 7302 (read September 25, 2026). All rates are subject to change.

≈ $27.33/hr equivalent · $2,186 every 2 weeks, before taxes.

On the clock, that's 0.76¢ a second.

NYC minimum wage is $17/hr. This beats it by $10.33/hr, with health insurance and a pension on top.

Pay

$56,838/yr

The work

One multiple-choice exam, 21 to be appointed

Exam

Civil service exam

Residency

NYC or 6 nearby counties

Timeline

Months. The test, the list, screenings and the Academy all come first.

Check yourself

Do you meet the requirements?

Check every box that applies. Be honest. Twenty seconds.

I'll be 21 or older by the day I'm appointed You can take the test at 17. The notice says if you're still too young when the list expires, you won't get another chance from that list. I have 39 college credits, or a diploma or its equivalent plus a year of full-time paid work A diploma plus 6 months of honorable full-time military service, casework or social services work, or law enforcement work also counts, and so do 2 years of active Reserve or National Guard service with an honorable discharge. You need this by the day you're appointed. I'm a U.S. citizen with no felony or domestic violence misdemeanor convictions The notice says both kinds of conviction bar you from this title. Other arrests or convictions, some job firings and a dishonorable discharge may also disqualify you. I'll live in NYC or Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland or Putnam county, and I can get a NYS driver license You need a learner's permit when you're appointed and a license before you graduate the Academy. Moving violations, a suspension or an accident record may disqualify you.

The process

6 steps. That's the whole process.

0 of 6 steps

Done: Create your OASys account

OASys is the city's exam system, and one account covers every exam you file for from now on. Use an email you can open: OASys sends a confirmation to verify it.

OASys, the city’s exam filing system (official)

Done: File for Exam 7302

File in OASys between September 2 and October 27, 2026. There's no fee: select “No Fee” as your payment method. DCAS's annual schedule lists two more windows: Exam 7303 from January 6 to March 2, 2027, and Exam 7304 from April 7 to June 1, 2027.

File in OASys (official)

Done: Take the multiple-choice test

Testing is expected to start December 15, 2026, at a computer. You need 70% to pass, and your score sets your place on the list. The notice says it tests reasoning, information ordering, math, memorization, problem sensitivity, spatial orientation, visualization, reading and writing. A basic calculator is allowed. Your admission notice appears in OASys 14 days before testing. Bring one photo ID with your signature. Your phone goes in a sealed pouch.

Notice of Examination No. 7302 (PDF), read this first

Done: Get on the eligible list and wait

Pass and you land on a ranked eligible list, which usually lasts 4 years. Hiring goes down the list as openings come up. This takes months. It's not a rejection. It's how civil service works.

Done: Clear the screenings

Before you're appointed: a qualifying physical test, medical and psychological exams, a drug screening and a character and background check. The investigation includes a $75.00 fingerprint fee. The department has a zero tolerance drug policy, and the notice says to follow it well before you apply. Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act rules also apply to hiring.

Done: Finish the Academy and probation

Probation is 24 months and includes Academy training. Fail the training and you're let go. You supervise people held in city jails, search for contraband, escort people in custody and write reports. You have to pass a firearms qualification every year. Expect nights, weekends and holidays, and standing for 8½ to 17 hours at a stretch.

Correction Officer

Do you meet the requirements?

6 steps. That's the whole process.

Get told before this exam closes.

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