Southeast Minnesota is a health care and agricultural powerhouse. The region is home to the renowned Mayo Clinic and some of the world's most recognized food companies and brands.
Advanced manufacturing is especially strong here, with machinery, chemicals, and electronics among the top products.
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8/30/2021 9:00:00 AM
One thing is pretty certain in today's world – there will always be people who choose to commit crime. In fact, the most recent Minnesota Department of Corrections facility population is at almost 9,400 people, many of whom will likely be released at some point. In 2020, 7,350 people were released from corrections facilities in the state, with over three-quarters going on to supervised release/parole. Given these statistics, another thing becomes evident – there will always be a need for individuals to work in corrections.
Correctional officers, probation agents, police officers and caseworkers are just some of the occupations in the criminal justice/corrections field. There are 3,250 people employed in Protective Service occupations in the Southeast region of the state, making up 1.4% of the total employment in the region. In addition there are occupations that are related to criminal justice and corrections that fall into other occupational groups. For example, Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists are classified under the Community and Social Services occupational group, but quite obviously work alongside Protective Services occupations.
As shown in Table 1, the largest number of correctional employees in Southeast Minnesota earlier this year were Correctional Officers and Jailers with an employment count of 790, followed by Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers with a count of 670. Rounding out the top three are Security Guards with employment of 350 in the Southeast region. Other occupations with smaller representation in the region include Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists, Correctional and Law Enforcement Supervisors and Detectives and Criminal Investigators. Wages vary for these occupations with a median wage of $18.30 for Security Guards on the low end to over $45 per hour for Supervisors of Police and Detectives on the high end.
| Occupation | Employment | Wage Percentiles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||
| Correctional Officers & Jailers | 790 | $20.61 | $22.97 | $26.57 | $30.33 | $32.62 |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 670 | $19.87 | $27.66 | $33.25 | $39.07 | $43.11 |
| Security Guards | 350 | $12.63 | $14.85 | $18.30 | $23.22 | $29.06 |
| Probation Officers & Correctional Treatment Specialists | 150 | $26.75 | $31.88 | $35.87 | $40.84 | $45.75 |
| Supervisors of Police & Detectives | 90 | $32.04 | $37.75 | $45.10 | $51.58 | $56.88 |
| Detectives & Criminal Investigators | 80 | $29.91 | $34.17 | $38.27 | $42.05 | $48.87 |
| Supervisors of Correctional Officers | 70 | $28.81 | $33.44 | $37.82 | $41.44 | $43.27 |
| Private Detectives & Investigators | 10 | $24.38 | $27.76 | $32.03 | $44.66 | $52.06 |
| Source: DEED Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | ||||||
While not all of these occupations are expected to see job growth (new jobs) in the next decade, each one is expected to see the need for workers to fill vacancies left open due to labor force exits, such as retirement. The largest numeric growth is expected to occur for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, which is slated to grow by 33 new jobs. However, the highest loss of jobs is projected to be for Correctional Officers and Jailers, which is projected to lose 49 jobs. On the other hand, Correctional Officers and Jailers are expected to see the largest need for workers to fill the 358 openings due to labor force exits, while Detectives and Criminal Investigators are anticipated to see the lowest need for replacement hires with only 19 projected openings from 2018 to 2028 (see Figure 1).
It appears that crime is here to stay and therefore so is the need for people to work in criminal justice and/or corrections. These occupations are necessary to safeguard the residents in Southeast Minnesota and are likely not going to be replaced by technology due to the human interaction component that is required to fulfill the duties of these occupations. Whether an individual has a high school diploma or an advanced degree, there are opportunities for work in this field in the Southeast region of Minnesota.
Contact Mark Schultz.
