California Offers Lucrative State Jobs, From Pension Managers to Prison Psychiatrists

The state's highest-paying roles include deputy chief investment officer at CalPERS and chief psychiatrist at state prisons.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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California is offering state government jobs that pay up to $47,208 per month, with the top salaries going to pension fund executives and prison psychiatrists. The single highest-paying listing is a deputy chief investment officer role at the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) in Sacramento, which carries a base salary range of $28,325 to $47,208 per month. The state is also hiring for high-paying roles overseeing medical and mental health services in its prison system, with chief psychiatrist positions paying up to $35,280 per month.

Why it matters

These lucrative state government jobs highlight California's efforts to attract top talent to manage its massive public pension funds and provide critical health services to prison inmates. The high salaries reflect the complex and specialized nature of these roles, as well as the state's willingness to pay competitive wages to fill these positions.

The details

The deputy chief investment officer role at CalPERS is responsible for supporting private asset investment strategy for the nation's largest public pension fund, which has $599.5 billion in total assets. The position is eligible for annual and long-term incentive awards of up to 180% of the base salary, meaning total compensation could reach the multi-million-dollar range in a strong payout year. Meanwhile, the state is also hiring for high-paying roles overseeing medical and mental health services in its prison system, with chief psychiatrist positions at several state prisons paying between $34,420 and $35,280 per month.

  • The deputy chief investment officer position at CalPERS has a base salary range of $28,325 to $47,208 per month.
  • The global fixed income managing investment director role at CalPERS has a base salary of $25,750 to $42,916 per month.
  • The prison health care executive job in Sacramento County has a base salary of $33,740 to $42,090 per month.
  • The chief psychiatrist position at North Kern State Prison has a base salary of $34,420 to $35,280 per month.
  • The application deadline for the chief psychiatrist position at North Kern State Prison is March 4.

The players

California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS)

The nation's largest public pension fund, with approximately $599.5 billion in total assets as of January 2.

North Kern State Prison

A state-run prison in Delano, California that is hiring for a chief psychiatrist position.

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The takeaway

These high-paying state government jobs in California demonstrate the state's willingness to offer competitive salaries to attract top talent, particularly in specialized roles managing the state's massive public pension funds and providing critical health services to prison inmates. The lucrative compensation packages reflect the complex and important nature of these positions.