California Correctional Travel Pay Transparency Report
Q2 2026 (April–June 2026)
TL;DR — Executive Summary
- • California (CDCR/CCHCS) currently has 220 active travel correctional openings, with average weekly pay of $2,102 across all roles.
- • Top-paying weekly contract observed: $5,332.71/week.
- • Highest-paying specialty: Correction at an average of $2,122/week based on 3 active openings.
- • Behavioral health roles dominate CDCR demand — driven by the federal Plata v. Newsom receivership requiring court-mandated mental health staffing.
- • California is not a license compact state — all roles require California-specific licensure (BRN, BVNPT, BBS).
1. Pay by Specialty
Across 220 active CDCR openings, here's the distribution by specialty (sorted by demand):
| Specialty | Active Jobs | Min Pay | Max Pay | Avg Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corrections | 96 | $725 | $3,607 | $1,900 |
| Licensed Psychiatric Tech (LPT) | 30 | $319 | $2,280 | $2,038 |
| Recreational Therapist | 17 | $1,177 | $2,750 | $2,471 |
| PT SNF | 15 | $588 | $3,060 | $2,417 |
| Dietitian | 10 | $1,831 | $2,337 | $2,197 |
| Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist | 10 | $2,515 | $2,782 | $2,690 |
| X-Ray Tech | 5 | $1,748 | $2,118 | $2,011 |
| CMA | 4 | $720 | $1,126 | $978 |
| Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor | 3 | $2,242 | $2,462 | $2,379 |
| Optometrist | 3 | $2,082 | $4,037 | $3,367 |
| PT Corrections | 3 | $2,823 | $2,975 | $2,911 |
| Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | 3 | $2,773 | $3,422 | $2,992 |
| Phlebotomist | 3 | $886 | $1,249 | $1,116 |
| Correction | 3 | $424 | $5,333 | $2,122 |
| Pharmacist - Inpatient | 2 | $2,346 | $2,373 | $2,359 |
2. Pay by Facility (Top 20)
CDCR facilities ranked by current open positions:
| Facility | City | Open Jobs | Avg Pay | Top Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Desert State Prison (HDSP) | Susanville | 42 | $2,131 | $3,983 |
| Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) | Crescent City | 32 | $2,372 | $3,607 |
| Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) & (SVSP/PP) | Soledad | 26 | $2,228 | $4,037 |
| California Correctional Institution (CCI) | Tehachapi | 15 | $1,618 | $2,118 |
| California Health Care Facility (CHCF) & (CHCF/PP) | Stockton | 11 | $2,324 | $2,993 |
| California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC) | Represa | 11 | $2,515 | $2,782 |
| Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) | San Diego | 10 | $1,749 | $3,058 |
| Ironwood State Prison (ISP) | Blythe | 7 | $1,755 | $3,060 |
| California State Prison, Centinela (CEN) | Imperial | 7 | $1,611 | $2,702 |
| California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC) | Lancaster | 7 | $1,627 | $2,875 |
| Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) | Ione | 7 | $1,846 | $3,422 |
| Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcora (SATF) | Corcoran | 6 | $2,478 | $3,453 |
| California Medical Facility (CMF) & (CMF/PP) | Vacaville | 6 | $2,467 | $5,333 |
| Calipatria State Prison (CAL) | Calipatria | 6 | $2,137 | $2,827 |
| Correctional Training Facility (CTF) | Soledad | 5 | $1,696 | $2,085 |
| Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) | Delano | 5 | $2,060 | $2,773 |
| Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP) | Coalinga | 5 | $1,871 | $2,834 |
| Valley State Prison (VSP) | Chowchilla | 4 | $2,309 | $2,975 |
| California State Prison, Solano (SOL) | Vacaville | 3 | $1,872 | $2,400 |
| North Kern State Prison (NKSP) | Delano | 3 | $2,291 | $2,548 |
3. Pay by California City
Cities with the most active CDCR openings:
| City | Open Jobs | Avg Weekly Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Susanville | 42 | $2,131 |
| Crescent City | 32 | $2,372 |
| Soledad | 31 | $2,142 |
| Tehachapi | 15 | $1,618 |
| Stockton | 11 | $2,324 |
| Represa | 11 | $2,515 |
| San Diego | 10 | $1,749 |
| Vacaville | 9 | $2,269 |
| Delano | 8 | $2,146 |
| Blythe | 7 | $1,755 |
| Corcoran | 7 | $2,316 |
| Imperial | 7 | $1,611 |
| Ione | 7 | $1,846 |
| Lancaster | 7 | $1,627 |
| Calipatria | 6 | $2,137 |
Methodology
Data source: Live job inventory from CatSol Healthcare Staffing's direct CDCR contract pipeline, synced via the LaborEdge ATS API. All pay figures represent gross weekly contract pay (taxable hourly rate + tax-free housing and meals stipends combined).
Filter criteria: Active openings (status: OPEN) in California with facility names matching CDCR patterns (state prison, correctional, CMF, CHCF, CDCR) or specialty matching correctional categories. Pay floor: $200/week (excludes test postings and incomplete data).
Refresh cycle: This report regenerates every 4 hours via Next.js Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR). Numbers reflect the most recent data sync from LaborEdge.
Quarterly cadence: Major version updates published quarterly (Q1: January, Q2: April, Q3: July, Q4: October) with year-over-year trend analysis added in Q2 2027.
Limitations: Sample reflects CatSol's CDCR contract pipeline, not the entire CCHCS staffing market. Other agencies hold distinct CDCR contracts. CatSol estimates this represents a meaningful share of CDCR travel inventory but does not capture every open position statewide.
How to Cite This Report
APA 7th edition:
CatSol Healthcare Staffing. (2026). California Correctional Travel Pay Transparency Report — Q2 2026. https://catsol.com/reports/california-correctional-pay-transparency-q2-2026/Plain text:
Source: CatSol Healthcare Staffing, California Correctional Travel Pay Transparency Report Q2 2026. Available at: https://catsol.com/reports/california-correctional-pay-transparency-q2-2026/Related Resources
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