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) , Associate Environmental Planner (10) , Senior Transportation Engineer (10) , Transportation Planner (10)

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

"Great benefits and time off" ((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 66 reviews)); "Great people to work with and to learn the legal profession" ((in 52 reviews)); "Good job security" ((in 26 reviews)); "Respectful and friendly coworkers" ((in 20 reviews))

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

"Low Pay for your experience" ((in 46 reviews)); "San Diego is expensive and the salaries are low" ((in 20 reviews)); "The supervisors are abusive." ((in 13 reviews)); "Lots of red tape, nepotism." ((in 9 reviews)); "If you have a bad manager, expect a horrible time working." ((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 about "benefit"

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

Reviews by job title

215 reviews

3.0

16 Oct 2025

Electrical engineer

Engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Benefits, work life balance some career opportunities if you want to find it.

Cons

Hard to move around l. People stay in jobs till they retire. Difficult to find information

4.0

12 Nov 2025

Great benefits

Legal secretary

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Excellent benefits, excellent work-life balance

Cons

Lack of training, low salaries for some positions, lack of opportunities to grow.

3.0

6 Jul 2025

It was an okay job

Office technician (typing)

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Good benefits Nice offices and building Mostly friendly co-workers

Cons

Workload overflow Hard to advance Interviews are very difficult Very competitive

4.0

31 Oct 2025

Job

Transportation engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Good Benefits, work life balance

Cons

growth opportunity is low compared to private

5.0

31 May 2026

Great job stability with supportive work-life balance

Transportation engineer (electrical)

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Good job stability, strong benefits and retirement package, supportive work-life balance, and valuable experience working on large public infrastructure projects. Great place to gain hands-on exposure to transportation systems and build long-term engineering experience. Good environment for professional growth and obtaining licenses/certifications.

Cons

None that i can think of. great staff and team

5.0

1 Sept 2025

Apply!!

Right of way agent

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Great benefits and work life balance.

Cons

Furlough when state budget is limited

3.0

6 Aug 2025

Great WLB

Staff associate transportation planner

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Great WLB Co workers are nice IT equipment is updated

Cons

Low compensation and benefits package Lacks efficiency

4.0

4 Jun 2025

Sleepy job with good work life balance.

Environmental scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Good work life balance and job itself is not that demanding. I am learning a lot about CEQA/NEPA. Benefits are good!

Cons

Can feel monotonous and experience in the office can depend on coworkers.

5.0

19 Jan 2026

Professional

Assistant resident engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

A lot of benefits and good pay

Cons

Willing to work on call and durinf emergency

Viewing 1 - 3 of 215 Reviews

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Caltrans reviews about "benefit"

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Electrical engineer

Great benefits

It was an okay job

Job

Great job stability with supportive work-life balance

Apply!!

Great WLB

Sleepy job with good work life balance.

Professional

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