Bailiffs
Maintain order in courts of law.
What it pays
Bailiffs earn a median of $27.21/hr — about $56,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.45/hr; the top 10% earn $46.53/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Bailiffs earn a median of $27.21/hr — about $56,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.45/hr; the top 10% earn $46.53/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Screen persons entering courthouse using magnetometers, x-ray machines, and other devices to collect and retain unauthorized firearms and other contraband.
- Escort prisoners to and from courthouse and maintain custody of prisoners during court proceedings.
- Maintain order in courtroom during trial and guard jury from outside contact.
- Provide security by patrolling interior and exterior of courthouse and escorting judges and other court employees.
- Guard lodging of sequestered jury.
- Enforce courtroom rules of behavior and warn persons not to smoke or disturb court procedure.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
You're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 6.3% of bailiffs are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and take-charge.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Transportation Security Screeners
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
Quick questions
- How much does a bailiff make?
- The median pay is $27.21 per hour — roughly $56,500 a year, with the real range running from about $15.45/hr (10th percentile) to $46.53/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a bailiff?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a bailiff actually do all day?
- Screen persons entering courthouse using magnetometers, x-ray machines, and other devices to collect and retain unauthorized firearms and other contraband. Escort prisoners to and from courthouse and maintain custody of prisoners during court proceedings. Maintain order in courtroom during trial and guard jury from outside contact.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.