Is Caltrans a good company to work for?

Caltrans has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5, based on over 970 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 79% of employees would recommend working at Caltrans to a friend and 76% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Caltrans have been left by employees working as Associate Right of Way Agent , Civil Engineer and Transportation Engineer, Civil .

Does Caltrans pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Caltrans employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.0 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?

79% 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, 3.7 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) , Senior Transportation Engineer (11) , Associate Environmental Planner (10) , Transportation Planner (10)

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

"Good benefits and retirement plans" ((in 92 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 51 reviews)); "Respectful and friendly coworkers" ((in 23 reviews)); "Job security is very good" ((in 23 reviews))

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

"Pay is low and they are bit behind technology wise" ((in 47 reviews)); "Bad management and quarter review" ((in 29 reviews)); "San Diego is expensive and the salaries are low" ((in 20 reviews)); "Lots of red tape, nepotism." ((in 9 reviews)); "Poor upper management." ((in 9 reviews))

What are employees saying about Caltrans layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Caltrans layoffs and their outlook for job security at Caltrans in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Caltrans locations?

Sacramento , Oakland , Los Angeles , San Diego , San Bernardino , Fresno , Marysville , Santa Ana , San Luis Obispo , Eureka , Stockton , Redding , Irvine , Orange , San Francisco , Bakersfield , Fontana , San Jose , Yreka , Bishop , Brea , Long Beach , Riverside , West Sacramento , Alameda , Santa Cruz , Fairfield , Central Valley , Sacramento Valley , Austin

Caltrans reviews

4.1

79% would recommend to a friend

(851 total reviews)

Malcolm Dougherty

67% approve of CEO

76% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (851 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Caltrans has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 851 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Caltrans employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Government & Public Administration industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

851 reviews

4.0

Sep 16, 2016

Slow paced but not stagnant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Relative freedom with projects and very work-at-your own pace type work place. A big pro if you are a self motivated worker.

Cons

Same as the pro which is the work-at-your own pace environment. This unfortunately leads to some stagnation among workers.

3.0

Sep 14, 2016

Worked for 20 years

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Work and life balance is good. The pay is catching up in recent years. Have all the heath insurance. People are friendly.

Cons

It has been changed a lot for the last 20 years. There is more and more bureaucracy and politics around the work place. Work experience is very limited.

4.0

Sep 14, 2016

Good job, pay sucks

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

For attorneys, there are a lot of really smart people who work here that take the job because of excellent work-life balance. An opportunity to have lots of independence and take control of your cases and learn a lot. There's hardly any turnover. Most people work here for their entire careers.

Cons

The pay is truly terrible.

Viewing 730 - 732 of 851 Reviews

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Jobs at Caltrans

SENIOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNER

OFFICE TECHNICIAN (TYPING)

Caltrans

Caltrans reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Slow paced but not stagnant

Worked for 20 years

Good job, pay sucks

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Caltrans