Does Caltrans pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Caltrans employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Caltrans. This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Caltrans?

81% of Caltrans employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Caltrans 4.3 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 4.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Caltrans?

Transportation Engineer (89) , Student Assistant (74) , Transportation Engineer, Civil (41) , Associate Governmental Program Analyst (AGPA) (27) , Environmental Planner (23) , Right of Way Agent (15) , Civil Engineer (14) , Engineer (14) , Intern (14) , Associate Transportation Planner (13) , Associate Right of Way Agent (11) , Highway Maintenance Worker (11) , Senior Transportation Engineer (11) , Associate Environmental Planner (10) , Transportation Planner (10)

What are the pros of working at Caltrans according to real employee reviews?

"Good benefits and long" ((in 96 reviews)); "Great work/life balance and a genuine feeling of positive work for the public (even though the public may not see it that way)." ((in 64 reviews)); "Great people to work with and to learn the legal profession" ((in 50 reviews)); "Respectful and friendly coworkers" ((in 23 reviews)); "Excellent work/life balance and job security." ((in 21 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Caltrans according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is low and they are bit behind technology wise" ((in 50 reviews)); "Bad management and quarter review" ((in 30 reviews)); "San Diego is expensive and the salaries are low" ((in 22 reviews)); "Lots of red tape, nepotism." ((in 10 reviews)); "Upper management is incompetent." ((in 9 reviews))

What are employees saying about Caltrans redundancies in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Caltrans redundancy and their outlook for job security at Caltrans in 2026.

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Caltrans

Caltrans Reviews

4.1

81% would recommend to a friend

(850 total reviews)

Malcolm Dougherty

72% approve of CEO

73% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.3

Work/Life balance

4.2

Diversity and inclusion

4.1

Compensation and benefits

4.0

Career opportunities

3.8

Culture and values

3.7

Senior management

Caltrans has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 850 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Caltrans employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Government and public administration industry (3.6 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Ethnic group

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

850 reviews

4.0

Mar 23, 2018

Work Enviroment

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Diversity people are working together

Cons

some people are hard to reach

2.0

Oct 24, 2017

Associate Planner

Associate environmental planner

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Benefit package. Flexibility. Retirement compensation. At 20 years-you can retire and get your medical insurance fully paid. If you consider that benefit could amount to $1500 in pre tax benefits-you’ll understand why people’s stay here when the place is full of bottom feeders and lacks modern technology

Cons

Hostile creepy people in some departments. Lack of technology, wages are 30-40% below private sector. Org is run like mafia. Filthy building, consultants try to compete for your work, no advancement.

1.0

Jul 26, 2014

Bunch of lazy employees who feel entitled

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Job stability. You will have to steal or murder someone to get fired.

Cons

Many employees in the accounting department are making close to $70k per year and have nothing to do. They get their nails done, read their kindles, play games on their phones, take extra long breaks and lunches, etc and the top dog does nothing about it. Sorry, but I don't like my taxpayer money being wasted on these folks.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 850 Reviews

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Jobs at Caltrans

LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATE, CALTRANS

CALTRANS HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE WORKER

OFFICE TECHNICIAN (TYPING)