8-1/2 Hour Day Pay - $5,807.25 - CHP Website - Misleading?

[NorCalN00b]

http://www.chp.ca.gov/recruiting/html/osalary.html

Hi, I have a question. On the CHP salary page, it says "8-1/2 Hour Day Pay $5,807.25" in the "box". I was just wondering, where did they come up with that amount figure? So that means you get $5,807.25 more a year?

And for the education incentives, it lists "$3,096.00". Is this pay amount for officers who posess a Master's Degree?

Thanks.

[Capsicum]

For education pay, you get 2.5% of your base pay for an AA and 5% of your base pay for a BA.

You work an 8.5 hour shift with 8 hours of activity and 30 mins for lunch which they pay you for.

[Your Mentor]

You don't receive an additional 5K per year NorCalN00b. What that means is that our monthly pay is based on twenty 8.5 hour shifts per month.

[NorCalN00b]

You don't receive an additional 5K per year NorCalN00b. What that means is that our monthly pay is based on twenty 8.5 hour shifts per month.
So why would they count it towards the year? Why not clearly state it better? The website is so misleading in the salary section :-(

[DESERT RAT]

Hey Norcal, If you are looking for a job that pay's you what you are worth! This isnt the career field to be looking at! You wont get rich from this job, I beleive for 30yrs of service you will earn 2 million and some change. However, you will find a brother/sisterhood comparable to the military and have stories that will last you a life time, you will risk your life one traffic stop at a time, and work with heroes & shitbirds everyday.

If it were a perfect world, we would have Michael Jordan salaries and he would be making 50k a year. The reality is you will make $2600 bucks a month during the academy, and take home right around 4k a month first year on.

[NorCalN00b]

Hey Norcal, If you are looking for a job that pay's you what you are worth! This isnt the career field to be looking at! You wont get rich from this job, I beleive for 30yrs of service you will earn 2 million and some change. However, you will find a brother/sisterhood comparable to the military and have stories that will last you a life time, you will risk your life one traffic stop at a time, and work with heroes & shitbirds everyday.

If it were a perfect world, we would have Michael Jordan salaries and he would be making 50k a year. The reality is you will make $2600 bucks a month during the academy, and take home right around 4k a month first year on.
I know but I wish the CHP would clarify their pay listed on the website. It's kinda misleading in my opinion. Or either the person who maintains the CHP website doesn't know what (s)he is doing.

[Welpe]

Or either the person who maintains the CHP website doesn't know what (s)he is doing.

Or perhaps the error exists between your keyboard and chair?

Read this on the site:

"8-1/2 Hour Day Pay

Currently, officers are paid for an additional 9.375% per pay period for an eight and one-half hour workday. In July it will return to 6.25%."

[Officer_Grady]

it says top step which means you have to make it out of the academy, I believe five steps to be top step without "longevity pay." I interpret it to mean after 5 years as an officer, you can receive... So your first five years should not be as much as...

[NorCalN00b]

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/radioman89/chp%20payscale.JPG

Potential top step annual income = $82,408.45

Last time I checked the dictionary, "annual" meant "yearly".

Why would the they add $5,807.25 to the annual calculation?

[Officer_Grady]

NorCal,
I was refering to the line before whatever you glued into here.
"An example of potential top step annual income would be:"

the 8 1/2 hour day means 1/2 hour was paid OT which was given up to straight time starting July 2005, I believe. The assn gave up the 1/2 hour paid as OT and got something like 64 hours more vacation, increase pickup from the state on health coverage and a mininal pay increase. The spin was the officers got 3.725 percent of the increase 18 months early. The 1/2 hour OT lunch paid was calculated into the salary. There was no more OT lunch paid. Boy, you would make a real good lieutenant.

[NorCalN00b]

NorCal,
I was refering to the line before whatever you glued into here.
"An example of potential top step annual income would be:"

the 8 1/2 hour day means 1/2 hour was paid OT which was given up to straight time starting July 2005, I believe. The assn gave up the 1/2 hour paid as OT and got something like 64 hours more vacation, increase pickup from the state on health coverage and a mininal pay increase. The spin was the officers got 3.725 percent of the increase 18 months early. The 1/2 hour OT lunch paid was calculated into the salary. There was no more OT lunch paid. Boy, you would make a real good lieutenant.


My post was referring to Welpe.

[Your Mentor]

NorcalN00b,
All they did on the website was break it down a bit too much. To an in-service person it makes sense. They're trying to make it sound like we have a ton of benefits; like a years worth of compensation for our 30 minute lunch period. I've NEVER made over 78K my entire career and I've been at top step for over 12 years. But then again I don't get a ton of overtime. Anyway, I think you received a ton of input here and it should satisfy your inquiry. If not, I doubt we can explain it any further.

[dw]

Hey Norcal, If you are looking for a job that pay's you what you are worth! This isnt the career field to be looking at! You wont get rich from this job, I beleive for 30yrs of service you will earn 2 million and some change. However, you will find a brother/sisterhood comparable to the military and have stories that will last you a life time, you will risk your life one traffic stop at a time, and work with heroes & shitbirds everyday.

If it were a perfect world, we would have Michael Jordan salaries and he would be making 50k a year. The reality is you will make $2600 bucks a month during the academy, and take home right around 4k a month first year on.
I know but I wish the CHP would clarify their pay listed on the website. It's kinda misleading in my opinion. Or either the person who maintains the CHP website doesn't know what (s)he is doing.

Yes, that is your opinion and yes, the person who maintains the site knows what they're doing. The 8 1/2 hour pay is not considered part of base pay and it would be misleading to include it as such. It is an negotiated item that became part of our salary before I came on, so I can not explain how it came about, but it is definitely not base pay.

[Lucky Seven]

It is an example designed to make the salary look decent. In reality you will not earn anywhere near that starting out and probably never make that much unless you work alot of overtime.

[Slim]

I don't see what the confusion is. Somebody is thinking too hard. Salary + education + PPP. Thats what you get. We will never be rich, but we all love our jobs!

[pp48n]

Two questions.... first, in the academy you get paid about $2600 a month, what is taken out to bring it down to that level? I mean room board? Etc?

Second, for guys on patrol, how do you make your overtime, through arrests? or through details? or what? Are there service areas where more overtime is offered then others.

Thanks for answering my questions, as stupid as they are.

[NorCalN00b]

Two questions.... first, in the academy you get paid about $2600 a month, what is taken out to bring it down to that level? I mean room board? Etc?

Second, for guys on patrol, how do you make your overtime, through arrests? or through details? or what? Are there service areas where more overtime is offered then others.

Thanks for answering my questions, as stupid as they are.
On the CHP's website, it says cadets earn "$3,268-$4,108" and an additional $186.27. How'd you get $2600??

Does anyone know when the CHP's contract is going to expire?

[Slim]

Our contract expires July 1, 2006 I believe. If you are new to the state system you will get payed the lowest on the pay scale. If you come from another state agency like CDC, you will be payed more while in the academy. There is no room and board and figure in the taxes and $2600 seems about right.

As for overtime there are many sources. Metro areas generally have more. Offices get grants for DUI, seatbelts, county roads, speed or any other specific type of enforcement. Caltrans projects, court, late calls, crashes or arrests. Maybe someone calls in sick and they need someone for C watch. Possibly are endless. I made $20 k in OT last year. Most guys don't work that much OT but my wife wasn't working at the time.

[makakona]

Two questions.... first, in the academy you get paid about $2600 a month, what is taken out to bring it down to that level? I mean room board? Etc?

Second, for guys on patrol, how do you make your overtime, through arrests? or through details? or what? Are there service areas where more overtime is offered then others.

Thanks for answering my questions, as stupid as they are.
On the website, it says cadets earn "$3,268-$4,108" and an additional $186.27. How'd you get $2600??


that's gross, not net... i think he was asking what is taken out of pay to drop it that low.

what's taken out... i was just sorting through our file folders of old statements this morning. $705.77 was the total for deductions, which included federal, state, retirement, social security, health insurance, and cahp dues. it's amazing when you compare it to what the state kicks in for health and retirement, though! :smile:

[NorCalN00b]

Our contract expires July 1, 2006 I believe. If you are new to the state system you will get payed the lowest on the pay scale. If you come from another state agency like CDC, you will be payed more while in the academy. There is no room and board and figure in the taxes and $2600 seems about right.

As for overtime there are many sources. Metro areas generally have more. Offices get grants for DUI, seatbelts, county roads, speed or any other specific type of enforcement. Caltrans projects, court, late calls, crashes or arrests. Maybe someone calls in sick and they need someone for C watch. Possibly are endless. I made $20 k in OT last year. Most guys don't work that much OT but my wife wasn't working at the time.
When your contract expires, I hope the union will negotiate better pay for all you Chippes. California is so expensive!

In your own realistic opinion, how much pay raise are you hoping for when the contract expires?

For Chippes working in the Bay Area, I think they should be getting "High Cost Of Living Pay".

[Your Mentor]

There's no offset or allowance for living in high cost areas because remaining in a given geographical region is voluntary. You are right about the Bay Area being an expensive place to live. However, most of this state is expensive to live in. Bishop and Mammoth Lakes are both rural but more expensive than the Bay Area. As such, an offset would be mind-boggingly expensive to impliment. And better pay is the crux of all union negotiations. All we're expecting right now is less than 2%. We're very close to parity now so it will be harder to negotiate raises until certain other agencies get them. Not to mention our current governor is a Pete Wilson fan. Wilson was notorious for cutting pay and benefits of San Diego PD officers when he was the San Diego Mayor and later he did the same to us when he was governor. Well guess what; Wilson is one of Arnold's advisors and mentors. Killing the power of unionization was one of Wilson's main goals and Arnold tried to do the same thing in the November special election last year. Being a cop, however, isn't about making money. It's about the job. We know we're worth more than they pay us but we also know that getting paid our worth is a constant uphill battle. Know that if you decide to follow this career path.

[NorCalN00b]

There's no offset or allowance for living in high cost areas because remaining in a given geographical region is voluntary. You are right about the Bay Area being an expensive place to live. However, most of this state is expensive to live in. Bishop and Mammoth Lakes are both rural but more expensive than the Bay Area. As such, an offset would be mind-boggingly expensive to impliment. And better pay is the crux of all union negotiations. All we're expecting right now is less than 2%. We're very close to parity now so it will be harder to negotiate raises until certain other agencies get them. Not to mention our current governor is a Pete Wilson fan. Wilson was notorious for cutting pay and benefits of San Diego PD officers when he was the San Diego Mayor and later he did the same to us when he was governor. Well guess what; Wilson is one of Arnold's advisors and mentors. Killing the power of unionization was one of Wilson's main goals and Arnold tried to do the same thing in the November special election last year. Being a cop, however, isn't about making money. It's about the job. We know we're worth more than they pay us but we also know that getting paid our worth is a constant uphill battle. Know that if you decide to follow this career path.
Ty for the info. Now I have a question regarding cadet pay. On the CHP's salary website, it lists cadets get "$3,268-$4,108" a month plus an extra $187 in overtime. Now another forum member here says CHP cadets get $2600 a month. Which one is true? Thanks.

[DESERT RAT]

I was their last year, I am married and claimed 4 dependents, I received $2600 dollars a month after taxes. $3249 before taxes.

[Welpe]

I imagine the $2600 is take home after taxes and other deductions.

[BoySergeant]

I found the calculations VERY accurate. I made just a hair over the approximate for a top-step officer last year at 84k. Others I polled were similar.

[dw]

I found the calculations VERY accurate. I made just a hair over the approximate for a top-step officer last year at 84k. Others I polled were similar.

I too think the numbers are accurate and posted specific numbers in this thread (http://www.chpforums.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=287).

[gofly]

In addition to the pay changes, what is going on with compressed work schedules? Is there any possibility of the CHP going to 4/10s or anything other than 5/8s? I believe in a previous thread someone said it would come down to a contract issue.

Thanks.

good luck...be safe

[NorCalN00b]

I have another question, sorry for all the dumb questions.

About this: http://www.spb.ca.gov/employment/spbpay2rd.cfm

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/radioman89/chp.JPG

Why do they list 3 parts for a regular CHP officer? Why do they deduct so much outta your cadet pay in the CHP Academy?

Thanks.

[TheForceCHP]

the way i see it, i will be just happy to get paid at the academy. they are training me, giving me a room, and feeding me, what more could i ask fo

[Your Mentor]

NorCal00b,
I'm a little concerned to see a potential candidate so obsessed with pay. We have the last live-in Academy in the state. Meals and lodging are benefits which you don't seem to be factoring into the equation. At regional academies, which are usually put on at junior colleges throughout the state, cadets have to rent apartments, pay utilities, and buy their own meals. In most cases they're earning roughly the same as a CHP cadet. But if money is a major concern with you then I suggest you begin researching a different career. This job is NOT about the money. Our department pays us pretty well if you compare us to other state police agencies. At this point, however, you're dragging this thread on and on with questions that no in-service officer can answer. Most of us went through the Academy years and years ago. The pay isn't the same and once you graduate you won't care what you WERE making because you'll making more as a first step officer.

I'm going to close this thread with one suggestion; you need to contact the California Highway Patrol Personnel Division in Sacramento and speak to a knowledgeable non-uniformed clerical staff member who can probably lay out every detail you can imagine regarding cadet and officer pay. If they can't, they'll pass you off to the State Personnel Board for the same thing. Otherwise, this forum's focus is the intricacies of this job and advice to help interested candidates obtain appointments to the Academy.

[makakona]

NorCal00b,
I'm a little concerned to see a potential candidate so obsessed with pay. We have the last live-in Academy in the state. Meals and lodging are benefits which you don't seem to be factoring into the equation. At regional academies, which are usually put on at junior colleges throughout the state, cadets have to rent apartments, pay utilities, and buy their own meals. In most cases they're earning roughly the same as a CHP cadet.

but if you have a family, all of that is out the window anyway, since they can't live in your locker. you save on the cadet's food, but you have to keep up a house or apartment, just as if they were there.

[Your Mentor]

Makakona,
I understand but remember, this is a civilian job. This isn't the military where you receive monetary benefits for living off base and having a family. Still, I literally walked off a Coast Guard base one day and onto the CHP Academy the next morning. I'm not kidding. I separated from the service as an E-6 and my cadet salary was double my military pay. Who can complain about that? Remember that anything good requires sacrafice and committment. It's only six years for a thirty year career.

[makakona]

Makakona,
I understand but remember, this is a civilian job. This isn't the military where you receive monetary benefits for living off base and having a family. Still, I literally walked off a Coast Guard base one day and onto the CHP Academy the next morning. I'm not kidding. I separated from the service as an E-6 and my cadet salary was double my military pay. Who can complain about that? Remember that anything good requires sacrafice and committment. It's only six years for a thirty year career.

of course! i don't expect housing benefits at all, but i also don't consider cadet boarding to be a benefit to the married cadet.

dang, my husband separated as an e6, too, and his cadet pay was about half his military pay!

[Your Mentor]

Wow! I entered the Academy in 1988 and military pay wasn't exactly happening. Did your husband graduate recently?