By ALLYSIA FINLEY
Roughly 2,000 students have to decide by Sunday whether to accept a spot at Harvard. Here’s some advice: Forget Harvard. If you want to earn big bucks and retire young, you’re better off becoming a California prison guard.
The job might not sound glamorous, but a brochure from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations boasts that it “has been called ‘the greatest entry-level job in California’–and for good reason. Our officers earn a great salary, and a retirement package you just can’t find in private industry. We even pay you to attend our academy.” That’s right–instead of paying more than $200,000 to attend Harvard, you could earn $3,050 a month at cadet academy.
It gets better.
Training only takes four months, and upon graduating you can look forward to a job with great health, dental and vision benefits and a starting base salary between $45,288 and $65,364. By comparison, Harvard grads can expect to earn $49,897 fresh out of college and $124,759 after 20 years.
As a California prison guard, you can make six figures in overtime and bonuses alone. While Harvard-educated lawyers and consultants often have to work long hours with little recompense besides Chinese take-out, prison guards receive time-and-a-half whenever they work more than 40 hours a week. One sergeant with a base salary of $81,683 collected $114,334 in overtime and $8,648 in bonuses last year, and he’s not even the highest paid.
thanks Jack, great post.
Why am I not surprised? We know who owns this state. Thanks Jack.
Now here is one helluva good idea!
“Liberals in southern Arizona seek to form new state”
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/liberals-southern-arizona-seek-form-state-130257516.html
If you wish upon a star …
Dang, this would make for a great socio-political experiment. Arizona divided into Arizona and The People’s Republic of Arizona. Imagine the contrasts five years down the road. I say, Git er done!
Good job if you can get it. (And keep it)
Now if the powers that be in Sacto would stimulate economic growth with business friendly policy we might actually be able to continue to pay for the snazzy pay and benefits….
And if parents and educators would do a better job so that fewer officers of criminal detention would be needed….
I know…I’m dreamin!
But, it’s a good dream!
Glad you liked it Juanita, I knew the prison guard union had been very effective, but this is over the top effective!
Who is Jack? the author is ALLYSIA FINLEY.
What is the purpose of comparing a correctional officer to an Harvard student? Very apples and oranges.
Correctional officers just need an high school diploma and a clean criminal record; hence why it is a great entry level job, almost anyone can do it. Hell, my single mother went into the academy at 34 and became an officer; which allowed my sister and I to go to college so we will not to rely on enrty level jobs until we are 34.
Try to getting into Harvard (or another competitive school) at 21 without a strong GPA and extra curricular activities; most California high school graduates cannot pull this off.
@Tina I agree that parents need to be more involved with their children to avoid the ending up in prison. This would save tons of money for the state, which would make tax cuts viable and we could focus on making better infrastructure.
Jack is the creator of Post Scripts (the blog) and is the major contributor here. Find him also in comments as “post scripts”.
The comparison illustrates an absurdity of our society. There was a time when a Harvard graduate was considered the cream of the crop and certain to make big money. His education wasn’t nearly as expensive as it is now but yielded a very good return. Today some wonder if the diploma is worth the price.
Prison guards have a thankless, often dangerous job. They are surrounded in most instances by the dregs of society. I don’t begrudge them good compensation and benefits but like most state jobs these days the contract is a bit over the top and has been negotiated, IMHO, in bad faith without regard to the burden it places on taxpayers.
SciBry thanks for commenting. I hope you’ll stick around and become one of our regulars.