Governor Expands Staff Pay Raise Proposal

March 18, 2021

Dear Corrections Family:

In January, I was happy to announce that Governor Mike Parson had recommended a 2% pay increase for all Missouri state government employees — plus an additional pay increase for some classes of corrections employees, including corrections officers, sergeants, lieutenants (in CO I-III positions) and food service workers (in Cook I-III positions).

Today I am absolutely thrilled to announce that my team and I have been working closely with the Governor and he has just proposed a bigger pay increase for these selected corrections jobs! These are the corrections jobs that we are struggling to fill and that have high turnover rates. These positions include some food service workers (Cook I, Cook II and Cook III), as well as corrections officers (CO I), sergeants (CO II) and lieutenants (CO III).

The Governor’s revised proposal includes:

• 2% pay increase for all state government employees, including all corrections staff
• 5.79% pay increase for food service workers in Cook III positions (2% cost-of-living increase plus additional induction rate increase of 3.79%), bringing the new starting salary to $34,560 (including the differential for this job class)
• 9.02% pay increase for food service workers in Cook II positions (2% cost-of-living increase plus additional induction rate increase of 7.02%), bringing the new starting salary to $32,000 (including the differential for this job class)
• 11.7% pay increase for corrections officers in CO I positions (2% cost-of-living increase plus additional induction rate increase of 9.7%), bringing the new starting salary to $36,000
• 13.18% pay increase for sergeants in CO II positions (2% cost-of-living increase plus additional induction rate increase of 11.18%), bringing the new starting salary to $38,880
• 14.95% pay increase for lieutenants in CO III positions (2% cost-of-living increase plus additional induction rate increase of 12.95%), bringing the new starting salary to $41,990

When I became your director in 2017, the annual starting salary for a CO I was $29,268. Right away my team got to work to grow that number. Since then, working with the Governor’s Office and the General Assembly, we have won multiple pay increases for corrections staff. If approved, the Governor’s newest recommended plan will bring the COI salary to $36,000 — an increase of $6,732 (23%) in 5 fiscal years. It also will bring the total amount of funds invested in corrections pay increases over the last four years to nearly $84 million.

But wait; there’s more! In January 2020, all staff began earning a 1% retention pay increase for every 2 years of service, up to 20 years. That retention pay will remain in place. If the General Assembly passes the new proposed plan, the 1% increase will be worth even more. For example, under the proposed plan, a new CO I would earn $36,000 per year. A CO I with 20 years of experience would earn $39,600. The longer you stay with the department, the more you earn.

The Governor understands the vital role all of you play in keeping Missouri safe, and he is grateful for the work you do every day. We hope this plan will mean not only more income for our team but also less stress for everyone affected by staffing shortages. Higher salaries for positions with high turnover can boost our ability to recruit and retain new staff, creating a better work environment for everyone.

We are grateful to the General Assembly for considering this proposal and to the Governor and his team for their ongoing support of corrections staff. My team and I will continue to work closely with them to advocate for MODOC.

Thank you for all you do, and please stay safe.

Anne L. Precythe
Director