Pay for the most common state worker jobs in Sacramento hasn’t kept up with inflation

Pay for the most common state worker positions in Sacramento County has not kept up with inflation, leaving tens of thousands of local workers effectively making less than they were a few years ago, according to a Sacramento Bee review of 14 years of pay scales published by the state controller’s office.

Members of California’s largest worker’s union are pushing state leaders for a three-year contract that gives raises of 12% the first year and 9% in the second and third years. The state is offering 2% raises during each of the next three years.

The Bee looked at the posted minimum salary since 2009 for five of the most common state worker positions in Sacramento County. About 22,000 — or roughly one in five — state workers in Sacramento County are covered by these job titles.

The analysis found that, after adjusting for inflation, pay effectively dropped between 6% and 12% for those jobs from 2009 through 2023. The decline was relatively slow and steady until the last two years; then, inflation jumped and pay did not.

Associate Governmental Program Analyst

Nearly 11,000 state government workers in Sacramento County hold this position; by far the most common in state government in the capital region. They are spread across nearly every department but most common in the Department of Social Services and Department of Health Care Services.

Minimum posted pay for this position was $52,800 in 2009, the equivalent of $75,100 in 2023. The minimum posted salary for the position today is $66,200. That means someone earning the minimum for the job in 2023 would effectively make about 12% less than someone earning the minimum in 2009.

Staff Services Manager I

About 4,400 state government workers hold this position in Sacramento County. They are most common in the Department of Social Services and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Minimum posted pay for this position was $60,950 in 2009, the equivalent of $86,700 in 2023. The minimum posted salary for the position today is $78,800. That means someone earning the minimum for the job in 2023 would effectively make about 9% less than someone earning the minimum in 2009.

Staff Services Analyst (General)

About 3,700 state government workers hold this position in Sacramento County. They are most common in CalPERS and the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Minimum posted pay for this position was $43,900 in 2009, the equivalent of $62,400 in 2023. The minimum posted salary for the position today is $55,050. That means someone earning the minimum for the job in 2023 would effectively make about 12% less than someone earning the minimum in 2009.

Office Technician (Typing)

About 1,800 state government workers hold this position in Sacramento County. They are most common in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Minimum posted pay for this position was $32,200 in 2009, the equivalent of $45,800 in 2023. The minimum posted salary for the position today is $40,400. That means someone earning the minimum for the job in 2023 would effectively make about 12% less than someone earning the minimum in 2009.

Correctional Officer

About 1,600 state government workers hold this position in Sacramento County, all of them employed by the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation.

Minimum posted pay for this position was $45,300 in 2009, the equivalent of $64,400 in 2023. The minimum posted salary for the position today is $60,500. That means someone earning the minimum for the job in 2023 would effectively make about 6% less than someone earning the minimum in 2009.

Methodology: The Bee used data from the State Controller’s Office to determine the most common state worker job titles in Sacramento County. We excluded the job titles of Information Technology Specialist and Information Technology Associate because IT classifications changed dramatically around 2018, making before-and-after comparisons difficult.

The state posts minimum and maximum pay ranges for every job classification. Current pay ranges for come from CalHR. Historical pay ranges come from the State Controller’s Office.

The full job titles of the above positions are: Associate Governmental Program Analyst, Range A; Staff Services Manager I; Staff Services Analyst (General), Range C; Office Technician (Typing), Range A; and Correctional Officer, Range J.

Inflation adjustment was via official data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.