Correctional Officers hired on the CO Step Plan will move to the next step in the plan in the pay period following their Anniversary Date, marking an additional year of custody officer experience. At each step, the employee will receive the annual rate indicated in the CO Step Plan for that step until completion of their third full year of employment. This annual rate increase is in lieu of any general salary adjustment provided for State of Indiana employees generally. For more information, please refer to Policy 04-03-113 Retention-based Compensation on our policy page.
Annual Rate
- Step 1 $42,900.00 | less than one (1) year of custody officer experience
- Step 2 $44,616.00 | more than one (1) year and less than (2) years of custody officer experience
- Step 3 $46,400.64 | more than two (2) years and less than three (3) years of custody officer experience
- Step 4 $48,256.67 | more than three (3) years but less than four (4) years of custody officer experience
4 Years or More of Custody Officer Experience
An employee hired as Correctional Officer with four (4) or more years of documented experience performing duties as a custody officer in a federal, state, or local government Correctional Facility will have their compensation set upon hire based on the compensation of similarly situated Correctional Officers employed at the same facility.
Additional Career Paths
- Case Manager | Starting $ $42,900.00
- Correctional Sergeant | Starting $
- Correctional Lieutenant | Starting $
- Correctional Captain | Starting $
- Correctional Major | Starting $
- Deputy Warden | Starting $
- Warden | Starting $
Differential Pay
Designated staff working at certain Department Correctional Facilities will receive differential pay in the form of a fixed hourly premium for each hour worked. Differential pay will not be applied to leaves and absences. This differential pay will be in addition to and separate from an employee’s base rate of pay and will not be impacted by general salary adjustments or other State of Indiana compensation initiatives.
Eligible Employees
- Correctional Officer
- Correctional Sergeant
- Correctional Lieutenant
- Correctional Captain
- Correctional Major
- Deputy Warden I & II
- Warden I & II
Eligible Facilities
An employee who receives differential pay shall not be entitled to retain differential pay status upon transfer to a new Department Correctional Facility or position, unless the transfer is to a facility and position that is eligible for differential pay status under section V.A. Differential pay eligibility shall be redetermined at the time of transfer.
Additional $2 per Hour | Additional $1 per Hour |
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Step Plan FAQs
- Why is the agency doing this?
Why is the agency doing this?
National studies have shown that many state departments of correction, including Indiana’s, have been impacted by unprecedented staffing shortages, which have increased overtime costs, inhibited innovation in the delivery of services, and challenged the integrity of core correctional operations. In recent years, the agency has obtained extensive feedback from its staff and other stakeholders about this workforce crisis, resulting in the implementation of these initiatives and others that remain underway.
- Do the Retention-based Compensation Initiatives impact all agency employees? If not, who will be impacted?
Do the Retention-based Compensation Initiatives impact all agency employees? If not, who will be impacted?
No, not all agency employees will receive a compensation adjustment as a result of these initiatives. Only those working in custody and parole classifications may be impacted by one or more of the initiatives discussed in this FAQ.
- Why aren’t all positions being impacted by this initiative?
Why aren’t all positions being impacted by this initiative?
As outlined in Commissioner Reagle’s video message to all agency staff, prior compensation initiatives have disproportionately impacted many of the agency’s non-custody positions, and salary compression is not as prevalent in those positions. Instead, the agency is focusing on standardizing job responsibilities and organizational structure for non-custody staff, which will result in a more uniform approach to facility staffing and improved working conditions. Additionally, filling our vacant custody positions should reduce the number of custody-based job duties currently being completed by those in non-custody positions.
- What happens to my salary if I transfer between custody and non-custody positions?
What happens to my salary if I transfer between custody and non-custody positions?
Your salary will be reevaluated to ensure internal pay equity within your new classification and the agency in accordance with the Indiana State Personnel Department’s Compensation Policy.
- Why were these facilities chosen?
Why were these facilities chosen?
These facilities were chosen based on extensive employee feedback and workforce analytics. Factors that were considered included, but were not limited to, vacancy rates, churn, security levels, incarcerated populations, staff populations, staff safety, and physical plants and other facility infrastructure.
- How will a general salary adjustment (GSA) affect my differential pay?
How will a general salary adjustment (GSA) affect my differential pay?
Any GSA that you receive will be applied only to your base salary and will not impact your differential pay.
- How does this impact Pay for Performance and other bonus programs?
How does this impact Pay for Performance and other bonus programs?
Employees participating in the Correctional Officer Retention Step Plan will be eligible for bonuses provided by the agency and by the Indiana State Personnel Department. Please refer to Policy 04-03- 113 – “Retention-based Compensation” for additional details.
