California Correctional Travel Pay Transparency Report
Q2 2026 (April–June 2026)
TL;DR — Executive Summary
- • California (CDCR/CCHCS) currently has 177 active travel correctional openings, with average weekly pay of $2,122 across all roles.
- • Top-paying weekly contract observed: $4,057/week.
- • Highest-paying specialty: Optometrist at an average of $3,458/week based on 4 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 177 active CDCR openings, here's the distribution by specialty (sorted by demand):
| Specialty | Active Jobs | Min Pay | Max Pay | Avg Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corrections | 67 | $725 | $3,607 | $1,827 |
| Licensed Psychiatric Tech (LPT) | 28 | $319 | $2,302 | $2,085 |
| Recreational Therapist | 17 | $1,206 | $2,750 | $2,469 |
| PT SNF | 13 | $588 | $3,041 | $2,328 |
| Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist | 9 | $2,515 | $2,782 | $2,695 |
| Dietitian | 7 | $1,831 | $2,337 | $2,171 |
| X-Ray Tech | 5 | $1,748 | $2,125 | $2,012 |
| Optometrist | 4 | $2,090 | $4,057 | $3,458 |
| CMA | 3 | $740 | $1,142 | $987 |
| Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | 3 | $2,773 | $3,422 | $2,992 |
| Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor | 3 | $2,242 | $2,462 | $2,379 |
| PT Corrections | 3 | $2,822 | $2,961 | $2,908 |
| Pharmacist - Corrections | 2 | $747 | $2,373 | $1,560 |
| Pharmacy Tech Inpatient | 2 | $773 | $879 | $826 |
| Long Term Care (LTC) | 2 | $3,486 | $3,536 | $3,511 |
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 | 33 | $2,166 | $3,982 |
| Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) & (SVSP/PP) | Soledad | 23 | $2,287 | $4,057 |
| Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) | Crescent City | 19 | $2,514 | $3,607 |
| California Correctional Institution (CCI) | Tehachapi | 12 | $1,612 | $2,118 |
| California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC) | Represa | 10 | $2,500 | $2,782 |
| Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) | San Diego | 9 | $1,604 | $2,108 |
| California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC) | Lancaster | 7 | $1,625 | $2,875 |
| Ironwood State Prison (ISP) | Blythe | 7 | $1,477 | $3,041 |
| Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcora (SATF) | Corcoran | 6 | $2,485 | $3,453 |
| California Health Care Facility (CHCF) & (CHCF/PP) | Stockton | 6 | $2,136 | $2,993 |
| Calipatria State Prison (CAL) | Calipatria | 6 | $2,364 | $2,887 |
| Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP) | Coalinga | 6 | $1,978 | $2,834 |
| California State Prison, Centinela (CEN) | Imperial | 5 | $1,700 | $2,702 |
| Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) | Delano | 5 | $2,051 | $2,773 |
| Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) | Ione | 5 | $2,378 | $3,422 |
| California Medical Facility (CMF) & (CMF/PP) | Vacaville | 5 | $1,895 | $2,683 |
| Correctional Training Facility (CTF) | Soledad | 3 | $1,490 | $1,698 |
| Valley State Prison (VSP) | Chowchilla | 3 | $2,748 | $2,961 |
| North Kern State Prison (NKSP) | Delano | 2 | $2,162 | $2,493 |
| 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 | 33 | $2,166 |
| Soledad | 26 | $2,195 |
| Crescent City | 19 | $2,514 |
| Tehachapi | 12 | $1,612 |
| Represa | 10 | $2,500 |
| San Diego | 9 | $1,604 |
| Vacaville | 7 | $2,028 |
| Blythe | 7 | $1,477 |
| Corcoran | 7 | $2,321 |
| Delano | 7 | $2,083 |
| Lancaster | 7 | $1,625 |
| Coalinga | 6 | $1,978 |
| Stockton | 6 | $2,136 |
| Calipatria | 6 | $2,364 |
| Ione | 5 | $2,378 |
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
Apply for California Correctional Travel Jobs
CatSol places nurses, therapists, and allied health professionals at every CDCR facility. Direct contracts, transparent pay, dedicated correctional recruiters.
Browse California Correctional Jobs