Skip to content
Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

Part of Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security, in the Correction Services pathway.

Job zone 4: considerable preparationO*NET 21-1092.00

What the work is

Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.

On a typical day

  • Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
  • Write reports describing offenders' progress.
  • Inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations.
  • Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
  • Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
  • Develop liaisons and networks with other parole officers, community agencies, correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, and aftercare agencies to plan for helping offenders with life adjustments.

What it pays

$58,490
Median pay per year, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro
New workers start near $47,170
Experienced workers reach $74,160
  1. $47k10th
  2. $48k25th
  3. $58kMedian
  4. $59k75th
  5. $74k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $47,170, 25th $47,690, Median $58,490, 75th $59,050, 90th $74,160

About 390 people do this job in the San Antonio area.

Job outlook

Alamo region (Bexar and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034. U.S. figures from the BLS for comparison.

+4.5%

employment change in the Alamo region, 554 to 579 jobs · U.S. +3%

48

openings a year in the Alamo region, from growth and people leaving · U.S. 7,900

554

employed in the Alamo region in 2024 · U.S. 92,300

Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree · Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training

Skills this career uses

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

  1. Social Perceptiveness4.4
  2. Active Listening4.0
  3. Speaking4.0
  4. Reading Comprehension4.1
  5. Critical Thinking4.0
  6. Writing3.9
  7. Monitoring3.9
  8. Complex Problem Solving3.4

Education people in this job have

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

  1. High school or less1%
  2. Certificate2%
  3. Some college2%
  4. Associate degree5%
  5. Bachelor's degree88%
  6. Master's degree2%

Job zone 4, considerable preparation: Usually a bachelor's degree, sometimes a strong associate plus experience.

Alamo programs that lead here

  • Palo Alto
  • St. Philip's
  • San Antonio
  1. Social Work

    Degree · Transfer pre-major · Public Service

  2. Social Work

    Transfer pre-major · Public Service

  3. Social Work

    Degree · Certificate · Transfer pre-major · Online option · Public Service

Apply to Alamo Colleges

Does this fit you?

Six questions rank every career here by how closely its interest profile follows yours.

Check my interests
  1. $57kSan Antonio median
  2. $54kSan Antonio median
  3. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

    Zone 53 Alamo programs Bright outlook

    $46kSan Antonio median
  4. Social and Human Service Assistants

    Zone 41 Alamo program Bright outlook

    $46kSan Antonio median
  5. $74kSan Antonio median
  6. Mental Health Counselors

    Zone 5 Bright outlook

    no wage published
  7. Healthcare Social Workers

    Zone 53 Alamo programs Bright outlook

    $68kSan Antonio median