California Correctional Travel Pay Transparency Report
Q2 2026 (April–June 2026)
TL;DR — Executive Summary
- • California (CDCR/CCHCS) currently has 111 active travel correctional openings, with average weekly pay of $2,042 across all roles.
- • Top-paying weekly contract observed: $3,678/week.
- • Highest-paying specialty: Optometrist at an average of $3,119/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 111 active CDCR openings, here's the distribution by specialty (sorted by demand):
| Specialty | Active Jobs | Min Pay | Max Pay | Avg Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corrections | 35 | $679 | $3,366 | $1,715 |
| Licensed Psychiatric Tech (LPT) | 20 | $291 | $2,162 | $1,950 |
| Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist | 11 | $2,333 | $2,663 | $2,597 |
| Recreational Therapist | 10 | $1,150 | $2,475 | $2,301 |
| PT SNF | 7 | $1,405 | $2,867 | $2,345 |
| Dietitian | 7 | $1,775 | $2,203 | $2,099 |
| X-Ray Tech | 6 | $1,661 | $2,027 | $1,879 |
| Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor | 4 | $2,182 | $2,182 | $2,182 |
| Optometrist | 3 | $2,005 | $3,678 | $3,119 |
| Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | 2 | $2,662 | $3,262 | $2,962 |
| Pharmacist - Outpatient | 1 | $2,125 | $2,125 | $2,125 |
| Pharmacy Tech Corrections | 1 | $810 | $810 | $810 |
| CMA | 1 | $845 | $845 | $845 |
| Licensed Clinical social Worker (LCSW) School | 1 | $3,233 | $3,233 | $3,233 |
| SLP SNF | 1 | $1,873 | $1,873 | $1,873 |
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 | 16 | $2,175 | $2,662 |
| California Correctional Institution (CCI) | Tehachapi | 12 | $1,759 | $2,702 |
| Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) | San Diego | 10 | $1,771 | $2,891 |
| Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) & (SVSP/PP) | Soledad | 10 | $2,038 | $2,867 |
| Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) | Ione | 9 | $2,298 | $3,262 |
| Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) | Crescent City | 9 | $2,260 | $3,366 |
| California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC) | Represa | 7 | $2,182 | $2,663 |
| California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC) | Lancaster | 6 | $1,851 | $2,775 |
| Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcora (SATF) | Corcoran | 5 | $2,398 | $3,233 |
| Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP) | Coalinga | 4 | $1,911 | $2,421 |
| California Health Care Facility (CHCF) & (CHCF/PP) | Stockton | 4 | $1,796 | $2,858 |
| North Kern State Prison (NKSP) | Delano | 3 | $2,627 | $3,673 |
| Calipatria State Prison (CAL) | Calipatria | 3 | $2,343 | $2,726 |
| California State Prison, Centinela (CEN) | Imperial | 3 | $1,680 | $2,382 |
| California Medical Facility (CMF) & (CMF/PP) | Vacaville | 2 | $1,881 | $2,562 |
| California State Prison, Corcoran (COR) | Corcoran | 2 | $938 | $938 |
| Ironwood State Prison (ISP) | Blythe | 2 | $1,639 | $2,468 |
| Correctional Training Facility (CTF) | Soledad | 1 | $1,665 | $1,665 |
| California State Prison, Solano (SOL) | Vacaville | 1 | $2,283 | $2,283 |
| Valley State Prison (VSP) | Chowchilla | 1 | $1,910 | $1,910 |
3. Pay by California City
Cities with the most active CDCR openings:
| City | Open Jobs | Avg Weekly Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Susanville | 16 | $2,175 |
| Tehachapi | 12 | $1,759 |
| Soledad | 11 | $2,004 |
| San Diego | 10 | $1,771 |
| Ione | 9 | $2,298 |
| Crescent City | 9 | $2,260 |
| Represa | 7 | $2,182 |
| Corcoran | 7 | $1,981 |
| Lancaster | 6 | $1,851 |
| Coalinga | 4 | $1,911 |
| Stockton | 4 | $1,796 |
| Calipatria | 3 | $2,343 |
| Delano | 3 | $2,627 |
| Imperial | 3 | $1,680 |
| Vacaville | 3 | $2,015 |
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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