California correctional rates run $102–$345 an hour, paid weekly. That is the headline. The real question clinicians ask next is quieter: what do I keep?
Here is how to think about it — clearly, without overpromising.
You are paid as a 1099 contractor
These are 1099 contracts. The rate is paid to you in full, with nothing withheld. You manage your own taxes, and you can deduct legitimate business expenses against that income.
This is where clinicians get nervous, and usually for the wrong reason. They hear “1099” and assume a downgrade. The rate is set to reflect that you carry your own taxes — it is not a salary with the safety rails. Whether you come out ahead depends on your situation, not on the label.
The math, in plain terms
Start with the gross. At $200 an hour for a 40-hour week, that is $8,000 a week, paid every Friday. Over a six-month contract, the gross is substantial and predictable.
From that, you set aside your own taxes and cover what an employer would otherwise carry. What is left is your take-home — and at these rates, with the planning set up properly, many clinicians keep more than they did on a W-2 at a lower stated wage.
The label matters less than the rate and the planning behind it.
What makes the difference
Take-home on a 1099 contract is mostly within your control. The clinicians who do best:
- Set aside taxes every week, the moment they are paid — not in April
- Track deductible business expenses properly
- Work with a tax professional who knows independent-contractor income
- Treat the contract like the business income it is
None of this is exotic. It is the ordinary bookkeeping of being paid as a contractor — and the rate gives you room to do it well.
Where I can help, and where I can’t
I can tell you the rate, the schedule, the term, and exactly when you get paid. I cannot give tax advice, and I would not trust a recruiter who tried to. For your take-home number, talk to a tax professional.
What I can do is make sure the rate is real and in writing before you ever start.
If you want to see the current rates for your specialty, the next step takes 15 minutes.