Okay, let’s tackle this. So Tomas Hernandez has 35 years of experience as a correctional officer, which is a long time. Typically, correctional officers in the US can earn around $40,000–$60,000 per year, depending on the state and location. Considering he’s been working for 35 years, he’s likely reached the top of his salary scale. However, his experience and tenure might not directly translate to higher hourly rates. Let’s consider the industry standard for hourly rates. Some sources suggest that experienced correctional officers can earn around $20–$30 per hour. Given the location (Edinburg, Texas) and industry demand, I’ll estimate his hourly rate to be around $25.