Department of Law & Public Safety

Department of Law & Public Safety is one of New Jersey's largest state agencies, employing 8,324 people.

The most common title is Trooper 1 (22% of staff), followed by Deputy Attorney General 4 and Deputy Attorney General 2. Median pay is $101,708, about 20% above the statewide median. About 73% of its employees are mapped to a civil service title specification, lower than most state agencies because it employs more agency-specific or unclassified roles.

Median tenure is 9.2 years. CWA represents the largest share of its unionized workforce (about 27%).

About Department of Law & Public Safety

Law and Public Safety is the Attorney General's department. Under one roof it holds the Division of Criminal Justice, the Division of Law, the Division of Consumer Affairs, the Division on Civil Rights, the Division of Gaming Enforcement, the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the New Jersey State Police.

Two unlike workforces share the payroll line. Troopers are the largest single title and are paid on the State Troopers Fraternal Association schedule, with sergeants and above on separate law enforcement tables. The legal side is built from Deputy Attorneys General at several levels, who argue the state's cases and advise every other department. Around both sit investigators, forensic staff, consumer protection analysts and the clerical titles that keep the case work moving. Very little of this department's work is duplicated anywhere else in state government.

Who works here

The agency's roster, largest title first. Every entry links to the published specification, where the requirements and the pay range are set out in full.

• Trooper 11,872 employees
  22.5% of staff · median $86,809 · STFA
• Deputy Attorney General 4281 employees
  3.4% of staff · median $110,923
• Deputy Attorney General 2267 employees
  3.2% of staff · median $138,293
• Deputy Attorney General 3168 employees
  2.0% of staff · median $148,959
• Investigator 3 Law And Public Safety167 employees
  2.0% of staff · median $86,809 · CWA
• Guard132 employees
  1.6% of staff · median $45,453 · IFPTE
• Investigator 4 Law And Publc Safety115 employees
  1.4% of staff · median $107,301 · CWA
• Assistant Attorney General110 employees
  1.3% of staff · median $187,450
• Administrative Analyst 3105 employees
  1.3% of staff · median $111,094 · CWA
• Senior Public Safety Telecommunicator First Responder, State Police101 employees
  1.2% of staff · median $85,386 · IFPTE
• Attorney Assistant93 employees
  1.1% of staff · median $81,320 · CWA
• Agency Services Representative 190 employees
  1.1% of staff · median $41,336 · CWA

At least 100 distinct titles appear on this agency's payroll. The 12 largest are listed above.

Titles you will not find elsewhere

Some titles barely exist outside this agency. Of the jobs on its roster, 39 are held almost entirely here, and 32 of those have no post anywhere else in state government.

• Trooper 1all 1,872 statewide
  only at this agency
• Deputy Attorney General 4all 281 statewide
  only at this agency
• Deputy Attorney General 2all 267 statewide
  only at this agency
• Deputy Attorney General 3all 168 statewide
  only at this agency
• Investigator 3 Law And Public Safety167 of 173 statewide
  97% of the statewide total
• Guard132 of 149 statewide
  89% of the statewide total
• Investigator 4 Law And Publc Safety115 of 116 statewide
  99% of the statewide total
• Assistant Attorney Generalall 110 statewide
  only at this agency

Concentration is measured against the same payroll file, comparing this agency's headcount in a title with the statewide headcount in that title.

How pay is spread

The quartiles say more than a single median does. Here is where this agency's pay sits at each point, next to the statewide figure.

The middle half of this agency's employees earn between $76,982 and $132,216, a ratio of 1.72 between the two quartiles. State government as a whole sits at 1.81, so this agency's pay is bunched more tightly than average, which tends to happen where one or two large titles carry most of the staff.

• Lowest recorded salary$30,668
• Lower quartile$76,982
  statewide $62,428
• Median salary$101,708
  statewide $84,796
• Upper quartile$132,216
  statewide $113,264
• Highest recorded salary$210,000

Based on 7,772 salaried records, with 4 statistical outliers excluded from the quartile calculation.

Union representation

Union representation here, counted from Employee Relations Group codes on each payroll record. The unit sets the pay table a title is paid from.

• CWA2,224 employees
  26.7% of the agency
• STFA1,872 employees
  22.5% of the agency
• STNCOA1,085 employees
  13.0% of the agency
• IFPTE572 employees
  6.9% of the agency
• STSOA283 employees
  3.4% of the agency
• IBEW147 employees
  1.8% of the agency

Union coverage is identifiable for 74% of this agency's payroll records. The remainder are unclassified, exempt or managerial positions that sit outside a bargaining unit.

How long people stay

How long people stay is one of the more honest signals an agency gives off. Long tenure can mean a stable career ladder, or a shortage of new hiring.

Half of this agency's employees have been on the state payroll longer than 9.2 years, essentially the statewide figure of 9.6. 33% joined within the last five years, and 26% have twenty years or more behind them.

• Under 5 years2,666 employees
  33.2% of those with a hire date
• 5 to 10 years1,603 employees
  19.9% of those with a hire date
• 10 to 15 years1,117 employees
  13.9% of those with a hire date
• 15 to 20 years531 employees
  6.6% of those with a hire date
• 20 to 25 years1,219 employees
  15.2% of those with a hire date
• 25 years or more903 employees
  11.2% of those with a hire date

Hire dates are present for 8,039 of this agency's 8,324 payroll records.

Overtime

996 employees here recorded overtime, 12.0% of the agency, against 31.6% across state government. Little overtime usually means salaried professional work with no shift to fill.

Together they were paid $7,089,328 in overtime, averaging $7,118 for each employee who earned any. Overtime is not part of the salary figures elsewhere on this page, which report base pay.

• Employees with recorded overtime996
• Share of the agency12.0%
• Total overtime paid$7,089,328
• Average per employee earning it$7,118

Civil service coverage

73% of this agency's payroll records carry a title that matches a published civil service specification. The rest are unclassified, exempt or agency-specific positions filled outside the competitive examination process, so the standard exam and eligible list route covers most but not all of the jobs here.

• Records matched to a specification6,046
• Records with no matching specification2,278
• Distinct civil service titles on the roster100 or more

Where it sits among state agencies

By headcount this is the 2nd largest of the 39 payroll lines in New Jersey state government, holding 11.1% of the state workforce.

The agencies immediately either side of it by headcount are worth comparing against, since size shapes both the title mix and the pay profile.

• The Judiciary9,609 employees
  median $72,540
• Department of Children and Families6,866 employees
  median $95,654
• Department of Health6,611 employees
  median $70,850

Study guides for this exam

• Civil Service Arithmetic National Learning Corporation · $39.94
• Civil Service Grammar and Usage National Learning Corporation · $34.95
• Civil Service Administration, Management and Supervision National Learning Corporation · $55.95
• Clerical, Office & Administrative Support Positions (COAST) (Career Examination) National Learning Corporation · $39.95
• Logical Reasoning National Learning Corporation · $29.95
• In-Basket Examination National Learning Corporation · $49.95
• GRAPHS, CHARTS AND TABLES (Tabular Material) National Learning Corporation · $39.94
• Abstract Reasoning / Spatial Relations National Learning Corporation · $49.95
• CIVIL SERVICE READING COMPREHENSION (General Aptitude and Abilities Series) (Passbooks) National Learning Corporation · $39.95 · general prep, not specific to this title

The Civil Service Commission does not publish official study guides or release past tests. These are independent equivalency guides.

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