California Department of Personnel Administration
Total Compensation Survey
Public Safety Classes
Survey Report
February 2008
Submitted By: 
CPS Human Resource Services 
241 Lathrop Way
Sacramento, CA 95815
Phone: 916-263-3600
Fax: 916-263-3613
Info@CPS.ca.gov

California Department of Personnel Administration
Total Compensation Survey Public Safety Classes
Table of Contents
Executive Summary………………………………………………………….…..
I.	Survey Introduction and Methodology………………………………….….
II.	Discussion of Benchmark Classes………………………………….……
III.	California Statewide Survey Results…………………………………….
A. Patrol Group…………………………………………………….…………..
B. Corrections Group…………………………………………………………
C. Other Law Enforcement Group…………………………………………..
IV.	California Regional Survey Results……………………………………...
A. Northern California Region……………………………………………….
B. Bay Area Region…………………………………………………………..
C. Central California Region…………………………………………………
D. Southern California Region……………………………………………….
V.	Non-California Survey Results……………………………………………
VI.	Conclusion………………………………………………………………….

Executive Summary
The State of California Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) retained CPS Human Resource Services (CPS) to conduct a Total Compensation Survey relative to a variety of public safety benchmark classifications. In addition to base salary information, data was collected regarding employer costs of other components of employee compensation, including longevity pay, education incentives, uniform allowances, and other special pays; benefits such as health, dental and vision insurance; employer pickup of employee retirement contributions; and Social Security/Medicare. For purposes of this survey, the costs of all of these compensation components were combined to determine the Total Compensation offered to each benchmark classification by each survey respondent.
In California, thirty-seven cities and counties and the Federal Government were selected as survey respondents. Survey agencies were chosen to ensure adequate geographic representation, and to ensure that data was gathered from the major public employers in California. Data was collected on a statewide basis, and also broken down into four geographic regions: Northern California, the Bay Area, Central California, and Southern California. Outside of California, data was collected from ten other states and the Federal Government that were expected to have matches to the survey benchmark classifications.
The benchmark classifications were divided into three groups: the Patrol Group, the Corrections Group, and the Other Law Enforcement Group. The Patrol Group consisted of the Patrol Officer/State Trooper, Sergeant and Captain classes for California data collection. The class Regional/Division Chief was added for data collection outside of California. The Corrections Group consisted of the Correctional Officer, Correctional Sergeant and Correctional Captain classes for California data collection. The classes Warden and Parole Agent were added for data collection outside of California. The Other Law Enforcement Group consisted of the Investigator, Supervising Investigator, Criminalist and Park Ranger classes for California data collection. The classes Special Agent, Special Agent-in-Charge, and Fish and Game Warden were added for data collection outside of California.
CPS prepared a Total Compensation Survey instrument and distributed it to survey respondents on February 1, 2007, requesting data on compensation practices in effect as of January 1, 2007. In addition Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), salary and benefit schedules, and other compensation related policies and documents were obtained from respondents and used as data sources. Data collection was conducted through May 2007.
The table below presents a summary of the California data collected from survey respondents relative to the ten California benchmark classes. For each benchmark class the State of California maximum base salary and the median maximum base salary reported by survey respondents are shown, followed by the “State Relationship to Median” column which shows the percentage by which the State of California salary would have to be adjusted to equal the survey median maximum salary. If the State of California salary is above the median survey salary, a positive percentage is shown; if it is below, a negative percentage is shown.  Similarly, the State of California maximum Total Compensation, the median maximum Total Compensation reported by survey respondents, and the percentage by which the State of California Total Compensation would have to be adjusted to equal the survey median maximum Total Compensation, are shown.

Summary of California Data
Class	State of CA Max Base Salary	Survey Median Max Base Salary	State Relate to Median	State of CA Max Total Comp	Survey Median Max Total Comp	State Relate to Median	
Patrol Officer	$5,762	$5,632	2.26%	$8,512	$7,911	7.06%	
Sergeant	$7,008	$7,177	-2.41%	$10,122	$9,455	6.59%	
Captain	$10,837	$10,236	5.55%	$12,999	$13,184	-1.42%	
Correctional Officer	$6,144	$4,890	20.41%	$7,770	$6,868	11.61%	
Correctional Sergeant	$6,892	$6,401	7.12%	$8,624	$8,309	3.65%	
Correctional Captain	$9,082	$9,552	-5.18%	$10,582	$12,665	-19.68%	
Investigator	$5,705	$6,363	-11.52%	$7,102	$8,619	-21.37%	
Supervising Investigator	$6,265	$7,559	-20.65%	$7,722	$10,056	-30.23%	
Criminalist	$6,534	$7,135	-9.20%	$7,607	$8,621	-13.34%	
Park Ranger	$4,786	$4,319	9.76%	$6,370	$5,994	5.90%	
A review of this summary data reveals that the State of California maximum base salary is above the survey median maximum base salary for five of the ten benchmark classes; and below it for the other five classes. Most of the percentage differences are modest to moderate, but for one of the classes, Correctional Officer, the State of California base salary is significantly higher; and for the Supervising Investigator class, it is significantly lower.
Because public safety classes typically offer a variety of compensation components beyond base salary, Total Compensation is generally considered to be a more comprehensive and accurate vehicle for compensation comparisons. When Total Compensation is considered, the State of California maximum is above the survey median maximum Total Compensation for five classes, and below it for the other five classes. Most of the differences are modest to moderate, but for three classes, Correctional Captain, Investigator and Supervising Investigator, the State of California maximum Total Compensation is significantly lower.
The table below presents a summary of the data collected from survey respondents outside of California relative to the sixteen benchmark classes. Again, the State of California maximum base salary and maximum Total Compensation are compared to the median maximum base salary and median maximum Total Compensation reported by survey respondents for each benchmark class. The “State Relationship to Median” column presents the percentage by which the State of California base salary or Total Compensation would have to be adjusted to equal the survey median.

Summary of Non-California Data
Class	State of CA Max Base Salary	Survey Median Max Base Salary	State Relate to Median	State of CA Max Total
Comp	Survey Median Max Total Comp	State Relate to Median	
Patrol Officer	$5,762	$5,093	11.62%	$8,512	$7,018	17.55%	
Sergeant	$7,008	$6,082	13.22%	$10,122	$8,150	19.48%	
Captain	$10,837	$8,252	23.85%	$12,999	$10,192	21.59%	
Regional/ Divisional Chief	$13,533	$9,271	31.50%	$15,886	$11,077	30.27%	
Correctional Officer	$6,144	$3,753	38.92%	$7,770	$5,540	28.69%	
Correctional Sergeant	$6,892	$4,557	33.88%	$8,624	$6,227	27.80%	
Correctional Captain	$9,082	$6,228	31.43%	$10,582	$7,703	27.21%	
Warden	$10,433	$9,556	8.41%	$11,727	$11,038	5.88%	
Parole Agent	$7,437	$4,904	34.06%	$9,115	$6,332	30.53%	
Special Agent	$6,674	$5,957	10.74%	$8,114	$7,815	3.68%	
Special Agent-in- Charge	$8,126	$6,554	19.35%	$9,566	$8,296	13.27%	
Investigator	$5,705	$5,918	-3.73%	$7,102	$7,815	-10.04%	
Supervising Investigator	$6,265	$6,336	-1.13%	$7,722	$8,138	-5.39%	
Criminalist	$6,534	$5,493	15.93%	$7,607	$6,805	10.54%	
Game Warden	$5,129	$4,925	3.98%	$6,663	$6,171	7.39%	
Park Ranger	$4,786	$4,061	15.15%	$6,370	$5,379	15.56%	
As expected, State of California maximum base salaries are moderately to significantly above the median maximum base salary reported by survey respondents for all but two of the benchmark classes. When Total Compensation is considered, the State of California remains above the median maximum Total Compensation reported by survey respondents for fourteen of the sixteen benchmark classes, typically significantly above them. State of California Total Compensation exceeds survey respondent Total Compensation very significantly within both the Corrections Group and Patrol Group classes.
The report that follows presents the detailed findings of this survey, including more extensive discussion of the survey findings, specific data reported by each survey respondent for each benchmark class, geographic data breakdowns, and appendices that include the specific compensation practices and policies reported by survey respondents.

I.	Survey Introduction and Methodology
On behalf of the State of California Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) CPS Human Resource Services (CPS) conducted a Total Compensation Survey relative to a variety of public safety related benchmark classifications. A Total Compensation Survey seeks data with regard to all the key components of compensation in order to quantify the total value of those components and facilitate comparisons of the complete compensation packages offered by various employers.
In the case of public safety related classifications, there are often numerous compensation components beyond base salary that are commonly offered to employees. These may include additional compensation for obtaining specific education or training, or for work related activities conducted before and/or after regular shifts and during normal meal periods and breaks, or for a variety of other reasons. For this Total Compensation Survey, the following data elements were gathered from survey respondents and used to determine the Total Compensation provided to each benchmark class.
•	Minimum and maximum base salary
•	Longevity pay offered to employees at the twenty-year service level
•	Education pay offered to employees for obtaining a college degree and/or Peace Officer Standards and Training certifications (data was collected for pay incentives offered for the most commonly attained education level - a Bachelor’s degree - rather than a Master’s degree and other infrequently attained levels)
•	Other pay typically offered to all members of the class, including meal time pay, roll call pay, etc.
•	Uniform allowances
•	Employer contributions for health, dental and vision insurance, or for a cafeteria benefit plan
•	Employer pickup of the employee retirement contribution, if any
•	Employer contributions to employee deferred compensation accounts
•	Employer contributions to Social Security/Medicare
The combination of all of these compensation components typically exceeds the level of the base salary range quite substantially, and constitutes the Total Compensation offered to employees.
Total Compensation data was sought primarily within California, but data was also gathered from employers outside of the State. In California, data was sought from thirty-seven cities and counties and the Federal Government, and presented on both a statewide basis and broken down into four geographic regions as shown below.
California Survey Agencies
 Region	Agencies	
Northern California	City of Redding 
City of Roseville 
City of Sacramento
County of Mendocino
County of Placer 
County of Sacramento 
County of Sutter 
Federal Government	
Bay Area	City of Oakland
City of San Jose
City/County of San Francisco
County of Alameda 
County of Contra Costa 
County of Santa Clara 
Federal Government	
Central California	City of Bakersfield
City of Fresno 
City of Modesto 
City of Stockton 
County of Fresno 
County of Kern 
County of Merced
County of San Joaquin 
County of San Luis Obispo 
County of Stanislaus 
Federal Government	
Southern California	City of Anaheim 
City of Chula Vista 
City of Long Beach 
City of Los Angeles 
City of Riverside 
City of San Diego 
City of Santa Ana 
County of Imperial
County of Los Angeles 
County of Orange 
County of Riverside
County of San Bernardino 
County of San Diego
County of Ventura
Federal Government	
Note that Federal Government data was included in each regional breakdown, including any geographic differential provided to Federal employees in that region, in order to provide an accurate reflection of the regional public sector labor market, in which the Federal Government is a significant employer. Federal government data, without any geographic differential, was included only once within the display of statewide data.
Also note that the County of Imperial was the only survey respondent for which data could not be validated adequately for any survey benchmark class. Therefore, while the County appears in the table above, it does not appear in the data spreadsheets that are presented in the appendices to this report.
Outside of California data was collected from the Federal Government and ten states as listed below.
Non-California Survey Agencies
Agencies	
State of Arizona	
State of Florida	
State of Illinois	
State of Nevada	
State of New York	
State of Ohio	
State of Oregon	
State of Pennsylvania	
State of Texas	
State of Washington	
Federal Government	
The non-California data was gathered with the knowledge and expectation that California compensation levels would tend to exceed those of most other states for a variety of reasons, including basic cost of living differences. However, it was felt that the data could be informative with regard to general compensation practices in other states, and with regard to the relative compensation levels of various benchmark classes as compared to those compensation relationships in California.
Ten benchmark classes were included in this Total Compensation Survey for California data collection, and sixteen classes for data collection outside of California. They were divided into three groups: the Patrol Group, the Corrections Group, and the Other Law Enforcement Group. The Patrol Group consisted of the Patrol Officer/State Trooper, Sergeant and Captain classes for California data collection. The class Regional/Division Chief was added for data collection outside of California. The Corrections Group consisted of the Correctional Officer, Correctional Sergeant and Correctional Captain classes for California data collection. The classes Warden and Parole Agent were added for data collection outside of California. The Other Law Enforcement Group consisted of the Investigator, Supervising Investigator, Criminalist and Park Ranger classes for California data collection. The classes Special Agent, Special Agent-in- Charge, and Fish and Game Warden were added for data collection outside of California.
The next section of this report provides description and discussion of each of these benchmark classes.
CPS prepared Total Compensation Survey instruments that were distributed to survey respondents on February 1, 2007, requesting data on compensation rates and practices in effect as of January 1, 2007. A sample of the Survey Instrument appears as Appendix 5 to this report. Appendices are available upon request.
In addition to the completed Survey Instruments provided by survey respondents, CPS gathered other documents such as Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), salary and benefit schedules, compensation polices, etc. that were used as sources for identifying the detailed compensation practices and policies of respondents. Data Collection Forms were developed and used by CPS consultants to ensure that comprehensive, consistent data was gathered from each respondent to the maximum possible extent. A sample Data Collection Form appears as Appendix 6 to this report. Data collection was conducted through May 2007.
Since this was a Total Compensation Survey, its key results include the State of California Total Compensation for each benchmark class, compared to the Total Compensation reported by survey respondents for each benchmark class. In making those comparisons, the State of California maximum Total Compensation, and the median maximum Total Compensation reported by respondents served as the data comparison point. The median represents the midpoint of the data – the point at which there are an equal number of higher and lower maximum Total Compensation amounts that were reported by survey respondents.
Note that there has been no weighting or statistical manipulation of the survey data. This survey gathered the actual base salary and Total Compensation provided to the benchmark classes by specific California and non-California public employers. This report presents comparisons of that data, on statewide, regional and non-California bases, to the actual base salary and Total Compensation offered to those classes by the State of California. No weighting or statistical manipulation of the survey data is required in making these types of comparisons.
The summary tables presented in this report also include the State of California maximum base salary for each benchmark class compared to the median maximum base salary reported by survey respondents for each benchmark class. However, because of the prevalence of compensation components beyond base salary among public safety classifications, Total Compensation is considered to be a more reliable and accurate method of making compensation comparisons.
In these tables the relationship of the State of California and survey respondent base salary and Total Compensation data is presented as a percentage in the “State Relationship to Median” column. The number shown is the percentage by which the State of California base salary or Total Compensation would have to be adjusted to equal the survey median. If the State of California base salary or Total Compensation is higher than the survey median, a positive percentage is shown; if it is lower, a negative percentage is shown.
Appendices 1 through 4 to this report contain a great deal of detailed data gathered in this Total Compensation survey, including the specific compensation data reported by each survey respondent for each benchmark classification; and other information not included in the Total Compensation spreadsheet, such as work week schedule practices, retirement policies, and policies regarding retiree health benefits, of survey respondents. For information purposes, the detailed data included in Appendices 1 through 3 also compares the mean, or average, State of California maximum base salary and maximum Total Compensation to the mean maximum base salary and Total Compensation reported by survey respondents for each benchmark class. Appendices are available upon request.

II.	Discussion of Benchmark Classes
This Total Compensation Survey involved sixteen public safety related benchmark classes, divided into three groups: the Patrol Group, the Corrections Group, and the Other Law Enforcement Group.
The Patrol Group
The Patrol Officer/State Trooper benchmark class is a sworn peace officer, journey level class responsible for performing the full range of police duties. The State of California match to this benchmark is the class Officer, California Highway Patrol. Cities and counties in California would be expected to match their journey level Police Officer and Deputy Sheriff classes, respectively, to this benchmark. Outside of California, matches were sought from state level law enforcement organizations similar to the California Highway Patrol, making the journey level State Trooper class the expected match in other states. Since there is no Federal Government police agency that includes similar patrol functions among its core responsibilities, no Federal Government match to this benchmark was anticipated.
The Sergeant benchmark class in the Patrol Group is the sworn peace officer, first level supervisor over Patrol Officers. The State of California match to this benchmark is the class Sergeant, California Highway Patrol. The Sergeant level in the law enforcement agencies that matched their journey level officer to the Patrol Officer/State Trooper benchmark is the expected match to this class.
The Captain benchmark class in the Patrol Group is the sworn peace officer, third level supervisor/manager over Patrol Officers. The State of California match to this benchmark is the class Captain, California Highway Patrol. The Captain level in the law enforcement agencies that matched their journey level officer to the Patrol Officer/State trooper benchmark is the expected match to this class.
The Regional/Division Chief benchmark class is the sworn peace officer, managerial level responsible for a substantial geographic or programmatic region or division of a large law enforcement agency. The State of California match to this benchmark is the class Chief, California Highway Patrol. Because the statewide responsibilities of the California Highway Patrol create geographic management challenges not faced by most local law enforcement agencies in California, this benchmark class was included only for data collected outside of California.
The Corrections Group
The Correctional Officer benchmark class is a journey level, peace officer class deployed in a prison or jail setting and assigned primary responsibility for inmate custody, supervision and control. The State of California match to this benchmark is the class Correctional Officer. In California, counties typically operate the local government jail facilities, through the county Sheriff’s Department; cities rarely operate substantial jails or detention centers. As a result, counties were the survey respondents for this benchmark class within California.
Of the twenty California counties reporting matches to this benchmark, seven utilize the same Deputy Sheriff classification that is used for patrol duties to perform the Correctional Officer function. In the other thirteen counties, specific corrections related classifications are utilized to perform the primary Correctional Officer duties. These classifications are typically lower level deputy classifications within the Sheriff’s Department. The specific matches for each responding county can be found within Appendices 1 and 2.
Outside of California, matches to all of the benchmark classes within the Corrections Group were sought from classifications used within the prison/penitentiary system of each state and the Federal Government.
The Correctional Sergeant benchmark class is the first level supervisor, peace officer class responsible for inmate custody, supervision and control in a jail or prison setting. The State of California match to this benchmark is the class Correctional Sergeant. As with the Correctional Officer benchmark, counties were the survey respondents to this benchmark within California. Also as with the Correctional Officer benchmark, a majority of the responding counties are utilizing specific, corrections related classifications within the Sheriff’s Department to perform the Correctional Sergeant function, classifications that are at a lower level than the sergeant classification assigned to the patrol function.
The Correctional Captain benchmark class is the third level supervisor/manager in the jail or prison setting. The State of California match to this benchmark is the class Correctional Captain. Unlike the Correctional Officer and Correctional Sergeant benchmark classes, most responding counties use the same Captain classification for this level of correctional function management as is used within the Sheriff’s Department to manage patrol functions.
The Warden benchmark class is the position with overall management responsibility for a prison facility. The State of California match to this benchmark is the class Warden. It was determined that overall management of a county jail within a Sheriff’s Department would not represent a comparable position in most cases within California. As a result, this benchmark class was included only for data collected outside of California relative to other state and the Federal Government prison/penitentiary systems.
The Parole Agent benchmark class is the sworn peace officer, journey level position assigned responsibility for supervision and oversight of individuals who have been paroled from a prison or penitentiary system. The State of California match to this benchmark is the Parole Agent class. It was determined that the class of probation officer within California counties would not represent a position comparable to Parole Agent in most cases. As a result, this benchmark class was included only for data collected outside of California relative to the supervision of parolees from other state and the Federal Government prison/penitentiary systems.
The Other Law Enforcement Group
The Investigator benchmark class is a sworn peace officer, journey level class responsible for independently conducting difficult investigations of alleged violations of law. The State of California utilizes numerous Investigator classifications and class series, including a generalist series and many series that are specific to individual State Agencies and types of investigative work. Some of these are not sworn peace officers classifications. These series typically have multiple journey level classes that provide for entry, regular journey level, and advanced journey level duties. Among the various State of California Investigator class series, responsibility for independently conducting difficult investigations is often assigned to the class at the level of the Senior Special Investigator class in the State of California generalist Investigator series.
Within California cities and counties, the classes expected to be matched to a sworn peace officer, journey level Investigator benchmark would be the classes used for employees assigned investigative duties within a Police Department or Sheriff’s Department, or investigators within a District Attorney’s Office. These Investigator classes would generally be used to investigate a wide variety of alleged crimes, including violent criminal activity. The specific Investigator benchmark matches for each responding city and county can be found in Appendices 1 and 2.
Based on these circumstances and considerations, the most appropriate State of California match to the Investigator benchmark was determined to be the Senior Special Investigator class.
Outside of California matches were sought of classes typically used within state and Federal operating agencies and assigned responsibility for investigating alleged violations of law.
The Supervising Investigator is the sworn peace officer, first level supervisor of Investigators who are independently performing difficult investigations of alleged violations of law. The State of California match to this benchmark is the Supervising Special Investigator I class. Within California matches to this benchmark are expected to come from classes assigned first level supervisory responsibility over sworn peace officer employees performing investigations within a Police Department, Sheriff’s Department or District Attorney’s Office.
Outside of California matches were sought of classes typically used within state and Federal operating agencies and assigned responsibility for first level supervision of employees responsible for investigating alleged violations of law.
The Special Agent benchmark is the sworn peace officer, journey level position responsible for independently performing the most complex and sensitive investigations, including the most difficult criminal investigations, and often involving the coordination of the activities of other law enforcement agencies. Investigations assigned to the Special Agent benchmark class are typically considered to be at a higher level than those assigned to the Investigator benchmark class. Within the State of California this benchmark is used within the Attorney General’s Office/Department of Justice. The State of California match to this benchmark is the Special Agent, Department of Justice class.
California cities and counties generally use a single Investigator classification and series to perform journey level investigations within a Police Department, Sheriff’s Department or District Attorney’s Office. They generally do not utilize a separate classification or series for investigations that are considered exceptionally complex or difficult. As a result, it was not expected that matches to the Special Agent benchmark would be reported by California cities and counties, and this benchmark was included only for data collected outside California from state and Federal level agencies having broad investigative authority and responsibility, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Special Agent-in-Charge benchmark class is a sworn peace officer, management position responsible for overseeing a geographic or programmatic area staffed with Special Agents. The State of California match to this benchmark is the Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Justice class. As with the Special Agent benchmark, this benchmark was included only for data collected outside of California from state and Federal level agencies having broad investigative authority and responsibility, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Criminalist benchmark class is a journey level, forensic scientist classification capable of performing a wide variety of scientific evidence analyses in support of investigations, documenting the results of those analyses, and testifying in court as to those results. Criminalists are primarily forensic scientists rather than crime scene or evidence technicians. The State of California match to this benchmark is the Senior Criminalist class. Some, but not all, California cities and counties maintain their own crime or evidence analysis laboratories. Those cities and counties would be expected to use classifications that are matches to the Criminalist benchmark.
Outside of California, state and Federal level crime or evidence analysis laboratories would also be expected to have classes matching this benchmark.
The Park Ranger benchmark class is a sworn peace officer, journey level position performing resource protection and law enforcement duties in a park/public lands setting. The State of California match to this benchmark is the State Park Ranger class. While many California cities and counties utilize natural resource officer or park technician classifications, relatively few of them have sworn peace officer status. Therefore, relatively few matches to this benchmark are expected from data collected within California.
Outside of California, state and Federal level agencies having state or national park oversight responsibilities would be expected to have matches to the Park Ranger benchmark class.
The Fish and Game Warden benchmark is a sworn peace officer, journey level position responsible for the prevention of violations and enforcement of laws relating to fish, wildlife and their habitats. The State of California match to this benchmark is the class Fish and Game Warden.
In California, the enforcement of fish and wildlife related laws is primarily a state level responsibility. As a result, cities and counties would not be expected to utilize sworn peace officer classifications that are a match to this benchmark. This benchmark was included only for data collection outside of California from state and Federal level agencies having fish and wildlife protection and enforcement responsibilities.

III.	California Statewide Survey Results
The statewide summary results of this Total Compensation Survey are presented below by benchmark classification group. The detailed survey responses by benchmark class and by responding agency can be found within Appendix 1 to this report. Appendices are available upon request.
A. Patrol Group
The table below presents the summary of the data collected within California relative to the Patrol Group classes. This data was provided by the thirty-six California cities and counties that were survey respondents.
Class	State of CA Max Base Salary	Survey Median Max Base Salary	State Relate to Median	State of CA Max Total Comp	Survey Median Max Total Comp	State Relate to Median	
Patrol Officer	$5,762	$5,632	2.26%	$8,512	$7,911	7.06%	
Sergeant	$7,008	$7,177	-2.41%	$10,122	$9,455	6.59%	
Captain	$10,837	$10,236	5.55%	$12,999	$13,184	-1.42%	
The maximum Total Compensation of the State of California Patrol Officer and Sergeant, California Highway Patrol classes is moderately higher than the median maximum Total Compensation reported by survey respondents for those benchmark classes.
Note that the Patrol Officer and Sergeant, California Highway Patrol classes receive several California pay differentials, in addition to longevity and education pay, that do not appear in the base salary range of those classes. These compensation components appear as “Other Cash” in the detailed data spreadsheets that appear in Appendices 1 – 3.
These pay differentials increase the State of California Total Compensation of those classes by approximately an additional 10%, and account for the change in the State relationship to the median percentage between the base salary and Total Compensation data for the Patrol Officer and Sergeant benchmark classes. This circumstance underscores the necessity of considering Total Compensation in evaluating relative compensation levels when public safety classes are involved.
B. Corrections Group
The table below presents the summary of the data collected in California relative to the Corrections Group classes. Twenty California counties and the Federal Government provided this data.
Class	State of CA Max Base Salary	Survey Median Max Base Salary	State Relate to Median	State of CA Max Total Comp	Survey Median Max Total Comp	State Relate to Median	
Correctional Officer	$6,144	$4,890	20.41%	$7,770	$6,868	11.61%	
Correctional Sergeant	$6,892	$6,401	7.12%	$8,624	$8,309	3.65%	
Correctional Captain	$9,082	$9,552	-5.18%	$10,582	$12,665	-19.68%	
This data reveals that the maximum Total Compensation of the State of California class, Correctional Officer, exceeds the median maximum Total Compensation reported by survey respondents for the Correctional Officer benchmark by 11.61%. Note that the percentage of salary differential has decreased between the base salary and Total Compensation data for this benchmark class.  This is because Sheriff’s Departments are responsible for jails in California, and the sworn peace officer employees of those departments tend to receive a variety of components of compensation beyond base salary, even though the specific county may be utilizing a classification lower than its Deputy Sheriff classification to perform Correctional Officer duties. Again, this underscores the importance of considering Total Compensation when comparing compensation levels, particularly in the public safety area.
Also note the trend reflected in the Total Compensation State relationship to median percentages between the Correctional Officer, Correctional Sergeant, and Correctional Captain benchmark classes. While numerous Sheriff’s Departments utilize a journey level class to perform Correctional Officer duties that is lower than their journey level Patrol Officer class, this tendency decreases with movement up the chain of command and assignment of responsibility for providing supervision and management at the Sergeant and Captain levels.
For the Correctional Sergeant benchmark, the State of California class maximum Total Compensation exceeds that reported by survey respondents by a modest 3.65%. The reduction in the percentage difference compared to the Correctional Officer benchmark data, results from the fact that some Sheriff’s Departments that utilize a class at a lower level than their Deputy Sheriff to perform Correctional Officer duties, utilize their regular Sheriff’s Sergeant classification for first line supervision within the jail. Since the Sheriff’s Sergeant class tends to be more highly compensated, the percentage differential between the State of California class and the survey data decreases for this benchmark.
This circumstance is much more prevalent at the Correctional Captain benchmark level. The vast majority of responding counties utilize their regular Sheriff’s Captain classification to provide this level of management within their jails. (Note how much higher the median maximum Total Compensation for the Correctional Captain class is than the Correctional Sergeant class, as reported by California county respondents.) As a result, the data shows the State of California Correctional Captain Total Compensation 19.68% below the survey median maximum Total Compensation for the Correctional Captain benchmark class.
C. Other Law Enforcement Group
The table below presents the summary of the data collected in California relative to the Other Law Enforcement Group classes. While nearly all survey agencies reported matches to the Investigator and Supervising Investigator benchmark classes, approximately half of the agencies reported Criminalist benchmark matches, and only a handful reported matches to the Park Ranger benchmark class.
Class	State of CA Max Base Salary	Survey Median Max Base Salary	State Relate to Median	State of CA Max Total Comp	Survey Median Max Total Comp	State Relate to Median	
Investigator	$5,705	$6,363	-11.52%	$7,102	$8,619	-21.37%	
Supervising Investigator	$6,265	$7,559	-20.65%	$7,722	$10,056	-30.23%	
Criminalist	$6,534	$7,135	-9.20%	$7,607	$8,621	-13.34%	
Park Ranger	$4,786	$4,319	9.76%	$6,370	$5,994	5.90%	
The Total Compensation of the State of California matches to the Investigator and Supervising Investigator benchmarks (Senior Special Investigator and Supervising Special Investigator I, respectively) is below the survey median maximum Total Compensation for these benchmark classes by a significant margin, 21.37% and 30.23%, respectively.
Some caution should be taken with regard to this data. As noted above, the State of California utilizes a large number of Investigator classifications and series. Most of these classes have been designed for use within a specific State Agency, and have a specific investigative area as their primary focus. (While some of these State of California classifications are not sworn peace officers, the benchmark Investigator class described in this Total Compensation Survey is a sworn peace officer.) In determining matches to the Investigator and Supervising Investigator benchmarks, survey respondents, as expected, looked to classifications used within the investigative units of their Police Departments, Sheriff’s Departments, and District Attorney’s Offices. Investigator classes in those organizations tend to be assigned a very wide range of investigative duties, including those involving serious and violent crimes. As a result, it was expected that the median maximum Total Compensation reported by respondents for the Investigator and Supervising Investigator benchmark classes would be higher than the State of California classes matched to these benchmarks. This should be taken into consideration when reviewing the Investigator and Supervising Investigator survey data.
Matches to the Criminalist benchmark class were reported by eighteen California cities and counties. The data shows that the State of California class (Senior Criminalist) Total Compensation is 13.34% below the median maximum Total Compensation reported by respondents for the Criminalist benchmark class.
There were only six California cities and counties that reported having a sworn peace officer classification matching the Park Ranger benchmark class description. As a result of this limited data, considerable caution should be taken in interpreting the survey results relative to the Park Ranger benchmark class.

IV.	California Regional Survey Results
The tables below present summaries of the data collected within California, broken down into four geographic regions. The survey data included in each table represents the data collected from the survey respondents within each specific region, as presented above in the listing of California Survey Agencies. The purpose of breaking down the data regionally is to identify any significant differences between statewide and regional survey results, which may be attributed to regional cost of living or other geographic factors that could affect the State of California’s relative Total Compensation position in the regional labor market.  Detailed survey results by benchmark classification, by region, by survey respondent can be found in Appendix 2 to this report. Appendices are available upon request.
Note that the regional State of California Total Compensation for some benchmark classes may differ from the Total Compensation reported in the tables above that present the summary of statewide survey results. This stems from the fact that the State of California offers a number of geographic pay differentials to several of the benchmark classes, typically to enhance recruitment and retention of employees within a particular region. This additional compensation appears as the “Regional Adjustment” in the detailed survey results presented in Appendix 2.
Also note that, for some benchmark classes, breaking down the data regionally reveals few matches reported by respondents for those classes in a particular region. For example, there are only two reported matches for the Park Ranger benchmark class in each of the Northern California, Bay Area and Central California regions. In those cases caution should be taken in reviewing and interpreting the data.

A. Northern California Region
The table below presents a summary of the data collected from survey respondents within the Northern California region.
Northern Region
Class	State of CA Max Base Salary	Survey Median Max Base Salary	State Relate to Median	State of CA Total Comp	Survey Median Total Comp	State Relate to Median	
Patrol Officer	$5,762	$5,125	11.06%	$8,512	$7,385	13.24%	
Sergeant	$7,008	$6,013	14.20%	$10,122	$9,180	9.31%	
Captain	$10,837	$8,629	20.37%	$12,999	$11,958	8.01%	
Correctional Officer	$6,144	$4,366	28.94%	$7,770	$6,010	22.64%	
Correctional Sergeant	$6,892	$4,984	27.69%	$8,624	$7,540	12.57%	
Correctional Captain	$9,082	$8,251	9.15%	$10,582	$11,054	-4.46%	
Investigator	$5,705	$5,710	-0.08%	$7,102	$8,027	-13.03%	
Supervising Investigator	$6,265	$7,041	-12.39%	$7,722	$9,861	-27.70%	
Criminalist	$6,534	$6,963	-6.57%	$7,607	$8,565	-12.59%	
Park Ranger	$4,786	$4,662	2.59%	$6,370	$6,068	4.75%	
A comparison of this Northern California data to the statewide data above reveals that the State of California Total Compensation levels compare more favorably to the Total Compensation levels reported by survey respondents in this region. The State of California maximum Total Compensation for six of the benchmark classes is higher than the median maximum Total Compensation of respondents, including the Patrol Captain class. The State of California maximum Total Compensation for the other four benchmark classes is lower than the median maximum Total Compensation of respondents, but by a decreased margin when compared to the statewide data. Most of these variations result in a modest to moderate difference in the Total Compensation “State Relationship to Median” column, compared to the statewide data.
B. Bay Area Region
The table below presents a summary of data collected from survey respondents within the Bay Area region.
Bay Area Region
Class	State of CA Max Base Salary	Survey Median Max Base Salary	State Relate to Median	State of CA Total Comp	Survey Median Total Comp	State Relate to Median	
Patrol Officer	$5,762	$7,171	-24.44%	$8,512	$9,109	-7.01%	
Sergeant	$7,008	$8,315	-18.65%	$10,122	$10,348	-2.24%	
Captain	$10,837	$11,555	-6.63%	$12,999	$14,181	-9.09%	
Correctional Officer	$6,144	$6,266	-1.99%	$7,945	$8,175	-2.90%	
Correctional Sergeant	$6,892	$7,700	-11.72%	$8,799	$9,967	-13.27%	
Correctional Captain	$9,082	$10,459	-15.16%	$10,582	$13,052	-23.34%	
Investigator	$5,705	$7,949	-39.33%	$7,102	$9,870	-38.98%	
Supervising Investigator	$6,265	$8,904	-42.12%	$7,722	$11,221	-45.32%	
Criminalist	$6,534	$7,444	-13.93%	$7,607	$9,294	-22.18%	
Park Ranger	$4,786	$5,704	-19.17%	$6,670	$7,361	-10.36%	
The State of California maximum Total Compensation levels are below the median maximum Total Compensation levels reported by Bay Area region survey respondents for every benchmark class, a significant variation from the statewide data. For most benchmark classes the variation from the statewide data is in the moderate to significant range. Since the Bay Area is recognized as a very high cost area, this result is not unexpected, although the magnitude of the difference in the data suggests that further review and analysis is needed to determine the appropriate State of California compensation policy for this region.
C. Central California Region
The Table below presents a summary of data collected from survey respondents within the Central California region.
Central Region
Class	State of CA Max Base Salary	Survey Median Max Base Salary	State Relate to Median	State of CA Total Comp	Survey Median Total Comp	State Relate to Median	
Patrol Officer	$5,762	$4,191	27.27%	$8,512	$7,220	15.18%	
Sergeant	$7,008	$6,582	6.08%	$10,122	$8,628	14.76%	
Captain	$10,837	$9,657	10.89%	$12,999	$11,461	11.83%	
Correctional Officer	$6,144	$4,270	30.50%	$7,770	$5,967	23.20%	
Correctional Sergeant	$6,892	$5,348	22.40%	$8,624	$7,283	15.55%	
Correctional Captain	$9,082	$8,289	8.73%	$10,582	$11,469	-8.38%	
Investigator	$5,705	$5,845	-2.45%	$7,102	$8,151	-14.78%	
Supervising Investigator	$6,265	$6,961	-11.11%	$7,722	$9,120	-18.10%	
Criminalist	$6,534	$6,524	0.15%	$7,607	$8,316	-9.32%	
Park Ranger	$4,786	$4,235	11.52%	$6,370	$5,588	12.28%	
Similar to the Northern California region data, for each benchmark class the State of California maximum Total Compensation compares more favorably to the Total Compensation reported by survey respondents in the Central California region than to the statewide data. State of California Total Compensation is higher for six benchmark classes, and lower for the other four in the Central California region. Most of the variations in the Total Compensation “State Relationship to Median” column are in the modest to moderate range when compared to the statewide Total Compensation data.
Again note that there were few matches reported in this region for some benchmark classes (Criminalist - 3; Park Ranger - 2), so caution should be taken in interpretation of the survey results in those cases.
D. Southern California Region
The table below presents a summary of data collected from survey respondents within the Southern California region.
Southern Region
Class	State of CA Max Base Salary	Survey Median Max Base Salary	State Relate to Median	State of CA Total Comp	Survey Median Total Comp	State Relate to Median	
Patrol Officer	$5,762	$6,110	-6.04%	$8,512	$8,112	4.70%	
Sergeant	$7,008	$7,571	-8.03%	$10,122	$9,952	1.68%	
Captain	$10,837	$11,775	-8.66%	$12,999	$13,778	-5.99%	
Correctional Officer	$6,144	$5,469	10.99%	$7,770	$7,149	7.99%	
Correctional Sergeant	$6,892	$7,031	-2.01%	$8,624	$9,241	-7.16%	
Correctional Captain	$9,082	$9,926	-9.29%	$10,582	$13,107	-23.86%	
Investigator	$5,705	$6,807	-19.31%	$7,102	$8,951	-26.04%	
Supervising Investigator	$6,265	$7,968	-27.18%	$7,722	$10,447	-35.29%	
Criminalist	$6,534	$7,278	-11.39%	$7,607	$8,672	-14.00%	
Park Ranger	$4,786	$4,518	5.60%	$6,670	$6,140	7.94%	
A moderate degree of variation between the regional data and the statewide data occurs with the Southern California data. Most variations in the State of California and survey respondent Total Compensation “State Relationship to Median” column are less than 5%. However, unlike the statewide data, the State of California Total Compensation for the Correctional Sergeant class is lower than the median maximum Total Compensation reported by respondents within this region for that benchmark class. While the variations are fairly minor, the State of California maximum Total Compensation is lower than the median maximum Total Compensation reported by respondents for six of the ten benchmark classes.

V.	Non-California Survey Results
Data was collected outside of California for general information purposes, to identify any specific compensation practices that may be of interest, and to allow comparison of compensation levels among various benchmark classifications in other states. Data was sought from ten states and the Federal Government. The table below presents a summary of the data collected from survey respondents outside of California relative to the sixteen benchmark classes.
California compensation levels tend to run higher than those in other states in most occupational areas, due to differences in the cost of living among other factors. This fact and the relatively limited number of benchmark matches should be taken into consideration when interpreting this data.
Class	State of CA Max Base Salary	Survey Median Max Base Salary	State Relate to Median	State of CA Max Total Comp	Survey Median Max Total Comp	State Relate to Median	
Patrol Officer	$5,762	$5,093	11.62%	$8,512	$7,018	17.55%	
Sergeant	$7,008	$6,082	13.22%	$10,122	$8,150	19.48%	
Captain	$10,837	$8,252	23.85%	$12,999	$10,192	21.59%	
Regional/ Divisional Chief	$13,533	$9,271	31.50%	$15,886	$11,077	30.27%	
Correctional Officer	$6,144	$3,753	38.92%	$7,770	$5,540	28.69%	
Correctional Sergeant	$6,892	$4,557	33.88%	$8,624	$6,227	27.80%	
Correctional Captain	$9,082	$6,228	31.43%	$10,582	$7,703	27.21%	
Warden	$10,433	$9,556	8.41%	$11,727	$11,038	5.88%	
Parole Agent	$7,437	$4,904	34.06%	$9,115	$6,332	30.53%	
Special Agent	$6,674	$5,957	10.74%	$8,114	$7,815	3.68%	
Special Agent-in- Charge	$8,126	$6,554	19.35%	$9,566	$8,296	13.27%	
Investigator	$5,705	$5,918	-3.73%	$7,102	$7,815	-10.04%	
Supervising Investigator	$6,265	$6,336	-1.13%	$7,722	$8,138	-5.39%	
Criminalist	$6,534	$5,493	15.93%	$7,607	$6,805	10.54%	
Game Warden	$5,129	$4,925	3.98%	$6,663	$6,171	7.39%	
Park Ranger	$4,786	$4,061	15.15%	$6,370	$5,379	15.56%	
With the exception of the Investigator and Supervising Investigator classes, State of California Total Compensation levels exceed the Total Compensation reported by non-California survey respondents for all benchmark classes, typically by a significant percentage. For both the Patrol Group and Corrections Group classes, the State of California Total Compensation is generally more than 20% higher.

VI.	Conclusion
By definition, compensation surveys represent a snapshot of the compensation practices of survey respondents at a specific point in time. This Total Compensation Survey gathered data and information relating to compensation practices and policies that were in effect as of January1, 2007. Compensation practices are generally quite dynamic, so changes and adjustments to specific compensation components by specific employers should be expected to occur on a regular basis.
Questions or comments about this Total Compensation Survey, or this report, can be directed to CPS Human Resource Services at www.cps.ca.gov.