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Career

Bailiffs

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipModerate pressure

What they do

Maintain order in courts of law.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $56,600 Median per year · $27.21/hr Most earn $32,140–$96,770

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Maintain order in courtroom during trial and guard jury from outside contact.
  • Enforce courtroom rules of behavior and warn persons not to smoke or disturb court procedure.
  • Provide security by patrolling interior and exterior of courthouse and escorting judges and other court employees.
  • Enforce courtroom rules of behavior and warn persons not to smoke or disturb court procedure.
  • Check courtroom for security and cleanliness and assure availability of sundry supplies, such as notepads, for use by judge, jurors, and attorneys.
  • Escort prisoners to and from courthouse and maintain custody of prisoners during court proceedings.

Job outlook

United States
2% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 1,600 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals64.5%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals35.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 3 to 6 months

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 3 to 6 monthsEntry-level

Bailiff is an entry-level job. Most people start after a high school diploma and some training, and it usually takes a few months to a year of related work before you're ready for it.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school and build good communication, public speaking, and calm-under-pressure skills, which matter a lot when keeping order in a courtroom.

  2. Security Guard

    3 to 6 months

    Work as a security guard or in courthouse or building security to learn how to watch for problems, follow procedures, and deal with the public.

  3. Certificate or on-the-job training for court security

    Usually a few weeks to a few months

    Complete the certificate or training your court or sheriff's office requires, which often covers courtroom procedures, safety, and use of force rules.

  4. Bailiff

    Entry-level role; training often continues on the job

    Keep order in the courtroom, guard jurors and prisoners, and help the judge run court sessions safely and on time.

Where it can lead

  1. Sheriff's Patrol Officer

    Varies by agency; often some court or security experience first of experience first

    Move into full law enforcement duties like patrolling, responding to calls, and making arrests, which usually requires academy training and certification.

  2. First-Line Supervisor of Security Workers

    1 to 2 years of experience first

    Lead a team of security staff by scheduling, training, and checking their work, which requires strong leadership and a solid track record in the role.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take government, civics, or law-related classesUnderstanding how courts and the justice system work will help you handle the job's procedures and questions from the public.
  • Join a debate, mock trial, or public speaking clubThese clubs build the calm, clear speaking skills you'll use to give instructions in a courtroom.
  • Get a starter job that involves customer serviceJobs at a store, restaurant, or front desk teach you to stay calm and respectful with people who are upset.
  • Volunteer at a community or youth centerVolunteering shows you can be responsible and reliable, which employers and court offices look for.

In college

  • Take criminal justice, law, or public safety coursesClasses on courts, criminal procedure, and public safety give you useful background, even if you don't finish a degree.
  • Work a security or front-desk job on campus or nearbyCampus security, library, or event staff roles build the experience that bailiff and security jobs often require.
  • Look into a short certificate in security or law enforcementA certificate in a field like security or criminal justice can help you show you're serious about the work, if your school or local college offers one.
  • Join a student government, legal club, or mock trial teamThese groups build leadership and public speaking experience that help you stand out for courtroom roles.
  • Keep a clean record and ask about court job requirementsBackground checks are standard for bailiffs, so staying out of trouble and learning your local court's rules now will help when you apply.

Tips for getting started

  • Look up your state or county court system's bailiff requirements now, since training and age rules vary and knowing them early helps you plan.
  • Get any security or customer-service job you can, since the experience and references are what courts and sheriff's offices often look for.
  • Stay out of legal trouble and keep a clean record, because bailiffs are trusted with safety in court and background checks are common.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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