Here are 4 full-time government jobs up for grabs in Central PA. One pays up to $109K
.jpeg "Pennsylvania is hiring state employees in the greater Centre County area.")
Pennsylvania is hiring.
In Centre County and elsewhere, state jobs offering competitive benefits are available for the taking. Agencies hiring include the Department of Human Services, the Department of Transportation and the state prison system.
Here are some listings in the region as of March 20. Note that several of them close within a few days.
Registered nurse
Salary: $88,130 to $109,766
There are two listings for registered nurses in the area, one for Benner state prison near Bellefonte and another for Youth Forestry Camp outside Huntingdon.
Nurses at the prison, according to the listing, will conduct physicals, monitor medical compliance and provide “health-related education” to prisoners in Bellefonte. It is a 40-hour work week, with options for either eight-hour or 12-hour shifts.
Nurses at the forestry camp will provide care and monitor medications for at-risk youth in James Creek. There are 10 working days in 14-day period, with eight-hour shifts that include day, evening and holiday rotations.
Nurses are unionized, and the starting salary is for those who have not worked for the commonwealth before. In 2024, the median registered nurse salary was $80,620 in Centre County and $87,610 in Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The camp nurse listing closes Sunday, March 22, and prison nurse listing closes Monday, March 30.
Bridge inspector
Salary: $51,971 to $79,062
The Department of Transportation is looking for a bridge inspector — more specifically, a transportation construction inspector supervisor for bridge inspection — to work out of its Hollidaysburg office. In the role, the listing says, “you will oversee a bridge inspection assistant while executing a range of technical responsibilities related to the assessment of bridges and other structures.”
The position requires a year of prior experience either at the state or federal level, two years experience with at least an associate’s degree in applicable engineering disciplines or a combination of the two. It is unionized.
In 2024, the median construction and building inspector salary was $65,920 in Centre County and $63,180 in Pennsylvania, according to the BLS.
The listing closes March 22.
Roadway programs technician
Salary: $40,685 to $60,714
The Department of Transportation hiring a roadway programs technician at its Clearfield office. The technician reads incoming police reports for potential property damage, then drives out to the scene to determine whether repairs will be needed, according to the listing.
The technician will also create work orders and review payrolls and contractor work. There are opportunities for telework.
The role is unionized, and the starting salary is for those who have not worked for the commonwealth before.
The listing closes March 22.
Corrections activities specialist
Salary: $67,766 to $88,860
The state prison in Huntingdon is hiring a corrections activities specialist, a mix of a gym teacher and counselor for inmates. In the role, according to the listing, “you will organize, instruct and supervise inmate programs, leisure time activities, inmate work crews and sports.” It also entails “supervising inmate organizations and self-help groups, providing instruction and knowledge to inmates, and maintaining program records.”
The activities specialist will work noon to 8:30 p.m. shifts on weekdays, and should have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in physical education. The role is unionized, and the starting salary is for those who have not worked for the commonwealth before.
The median health education specialist salary was $75,020 in Pennsylvania in 2024, according to the BLS. The bureau did not have a median salary at the county level.
The listing closes Wednesday, April 1.
