What California state workers earn: Prison and parole officers

Sacbee — Perhaps no union worked harder to curry Gov. Jerry Brown's favor in 2010 than the California Correctional Peace Officers Association.

The union put in $1.8 million into an independent campaign to return Brown to office, invited him to CCPOA's annual convention in Las Vegas (the Democratic governor accepted) and didn't declare war on Brown's plan to shrink the state prison system and shift parole duties to local governments.

CCPOA reached agreement on a contract with Brown in 2010 after years of working under terms imposed by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. That pact, like most of the others covering state employees, expires at the beginning of July.

A look at what CCPOA members earned in calendar 2011 and 2012:

Number of employees in 2012: 27,019
2012 average pay: $68,858
2012 median pay: $72,800

Number of employees in 2011: 29,006
2011 average pay: $65,353
2011 median pay: $69,445

2012 Largest job class: Correctional Officer (21,294)
Highest paid job class (2012 average): Parole Agent II, Adult Parole (Specialist) ($96,646)
Lowest paid job class (2012 average): Parole Service Associate ($59,055)