California Correctional Travel Pay Transparency Report
Q2 2026 (April–June 2026)
TL;DR — Executive Summary
- • California (CDCR/CCHCS) currently has 187 active travel correctional openings, with average weekly pay of $2,165 across all roles.
- • Top-paying weekly contract observed: $4,142/week.
- • Highest-paying specialty: Optometrist at an average of $3,657/week based on 6 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 187 active CDCR openings, here's the distribution by specialty (sorted by demand):
| Specialty | Active Jobs | Min Pay | Max Pay | Avg Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corrections | 99 | $725 | $3,546 | $2,025 |
| Licensed Psychiatric Tech (LPT) | 23 | $319 | $2,302 | $2,070 |
| PT SNF | 13 | $588 | $3,024 | $2,326 |
| Recreational Therapist | 8 | $1,206 | $2,559 | $2,358 |
| Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist | 7 | $2,515 | $2,782 | $2,701 |
| Dietitian | 6 | $1,824 | $2,341 | $2,170 |
| Optometrist | 6 | $2,085 | $4,142 | $3,657 |
| X-Ray Tech | 5 | $1,748 | $2,125 | $2,012 |
| Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor | 3 | $2,242 | $2,462 | $2,379 |
| Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | 3 | $2,773 | $3,422 | $2,992 |
| PT Corrections | 2 | $2,613 | $2,822 | $2,718 |
| CMA | 2 | $997 | $1,142 | $1,069 |
| Pharmacy Tech Inpatient | 2 | $773 | $830 | $801 |
| Physical Therapist (PT) | 2 | $1,535 | $2,235 | $1,885 |
| SLP SNF | 1 | $1,978 | $1,978 | $1,978 |
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 | 32 | $2,196 | $3,982 |
| Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) & (SVSP/PP) | Soledad | 23 | $2,233 | $4,095 |
| Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) | Crescent City | 18 | $2,589 | $4,142 |
| California Correctional Institution (CCI) | Tehachapi | 18 | $1,888 | $2,822 |
| Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) | San Diego | 12 | $1,882 | $3,001 |
| California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC) | Represa | 10 | $2,289 | $2,832 |
| California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC) | Lancaster | 9 | $1,661 | $2,875 |
| Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) | Ione | 8 | $2,453 | $3,422 |
| Correctional Training Facility (CTF) | Soledad | 7 | $1,936 | $2,056 |
| California Health Care Facility (CHCF) & (CHCF/PP) | Stockton | 6 | $2,125 | $2,998 |
| Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcora (SATF) | Corcoran | 6 | $2,389 | $3,453 |
| Valley State Prison (VSP) | Chowchilla | 5 | $1,948 | $2,681 |
| Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) | Delano | 5 | $1,855 | $2,773 |
| Calipatria State Prison (CAL) | Calipatria | 4 | $2,574 | $2,866 |
| California Medical Facility (CMF) & (CMF/PP) | Vacaville | 4 | $2,166 | $2,682 |
| California State Prison, Centinela (CEN) | Imperial | 4 | $1,683 | $2,482 |
| Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP) | Coalinga | 4 | $1,878 | $2,521 |
| North Kern State Prison (NKSP) | Delano | 3 | $2,323 | $2,613 |
| Avenal State Prison (ASP) | Avenal | 2 | $3,304 | $3,782 |
| California State Prison, Solano (SOL) | Vacaville | 2 | $2,363 | $2,395 |
3. Pay by California City
Cities with the most active CDCR openings:
| City | Open Jobs | Avg Weekly Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Susanville | 32 | $2,196 |
| Soledad | 30 | $2,164 |
| Tehachapi | 18 | $1,888 |
| Crescent City | 18 | $2,589 |
| San Diego | 12 | $1,882 |
| Represa | 11 | $2,257 |
| Lancaster | 9 | $1,661 |
| Delano | 8 | $2,031 |
| Ione | 8 | $2,453 |
| Corcoran | 7 | $2,240 |
| Vacaville | 6 | $2,231 |
| Stockton | 6 | $2,125 |
| Chowchilla | 5 | $1,948 |
| Calipatria | 4 | $2,574 |
| Imperial | 4 | $1,683 |
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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