California Correctional Travel Pay Transparency Report
Q2 2026 (April–June 2026)
TL;DR — Executive Summary
- • California (CDCR/CCHCS) currently has 174 active travel correctional openings, with average weekly pay of $2,117 across all roles.
- • Top-paying weekly contract observed: $3,758/week.
- • Highest-paying specialty: Optometrist at an average of $2,897/week based on 2 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 174 active CDCR openings, here's the distribution by specialty (sorted by demand):
| Specialty | Active Jobs | Min Pay | Max Pay | Avg Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corrections | 86 | $725 | $3,446 | $2,012 |
| Licensed Psychiatric Tech (LPT) | 22 | $306 | $2,242 | $2,018 |
| PT SNF | 14 | $572 | $3,048 | $2,325 |
| Recreational Therapist | 10 | $1,178 | $2,519 | $2,340 |
| Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist | 10 | $2,449 | $2,748 | $2,669 |
| Dietitian | 7 | $1,866 | $2,241 | $2,146 |
| X-Ray Tech | 5 | $1,748 | $2,069 | $1,973 |
| Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor | 5 | $2,182 | $2,402 | $2,280 |
| Optometrist | 2 | $2,035 | $3,758 | $2,897 |
| Licensed Clinical social Worker (LCSW) School | 2 | $2,733 | $3,373 | $3,053 |
| Physical Therapist (PT) | 2 | $1,493 | $2,171 | $1,832 |
| Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | 2 | $2,722 | $3,342 | $3,032 |
| CMA | 2 | $969 | $1,112 | $1,041 |
| Phlebotomist | 1 | $1,185 | $1,185 | $1,185 |
| SLP SNF | 1 | $1,915 | $1,915 | $1,915 |
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 | 34 | $2,150 | $3,346 |
| Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) & (SVSP/PP) | Soledad | 18 | $2,167 | $2,958 |
| Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) | Crescent City | 17 | $2,400 | $3,446 |
| California Correctional Institution (CCI) | Tehachapi | 15 | $1,855 | $2,762 |
| Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) | San Diego | 12 | $1,855 | $2,931 |
| California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC) | Lancaster | 11 | $1,652 | $2,815 |
| California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC) | Represa | 9 | $2,301 | $2,772 |
| Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcora (SATF) | Corcoran | 7 | $2,439 | $3,373 |
| Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) | Ione | 7 | $2,357 | $3,342 |
| California Health Care Facility (CHCF) & (CHCF/PP) | Stockton | 6 | $2,074 | $2,918 |
| Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) | Delano | 6 | $1,888 | $2,857 |
| California Medical Facility (CMF) & (CMF/PP) | Vacaville | 4 | $2,141 | $2,622 |
| Calipatria State Prison (CAL) | Calipatria | 4 | $2,504 | $2,786 |
| Correctional Training Facility (CTF) | Soledad | 4 | $1,864 | $2,058 |
| California State Prison, Centinela (CEN) | Imperial | 4 | $1,668 | $2,422 |
| Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP) | Coalinga | 4 | $1,852 | $2,461 |
| North Kern State Prison (NKSP) | Delano | 2 | $2,170 | $2,473 |
| Valley State Prison (VSP) | Chowchilla | 2 | $2,342 | $2,661 |
| California State Prison, Solano (SOL) | Vacaville | 2 | $2,307 | $2,331 |
| Ironwood State Prison (ISP) | Blythe | 2 | $2,783 | $3,048 |
3. Pay by California City
Cities with the most active CDCR openings:
| City | Open Jobs | Avg Weekly Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Susanville | 34 | $2,150 |
| Soledad | 22 | $2,112 |
| Crescent City | 17 | $2,400 |
| Tehachapi | 15 | $1,855 |
| San Diego | 12 | $1,855 |
| Lancaster | 11 | $1,652 |
| Represa | 10 | $2,266 |
| Corcoran | 8 | $2,302 |
| Delano | 8 | $1,958 |
| Ione | 7 | $2,357 |
| Vacaville | 6 | $2,196 |
| Stockton | 6 | $2,074 |
| Coalinga | 4 | $1,852 |
| Calipatria | 4 | $2,504 |
| Imperial | 4 | $1,668 |
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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