Special Pays · Catalog
Special pays catalog by classification & prevalence
RFP-2026-308 §COMPENSATION STUDY item F asks how employees move through their ranges (COLA, off-cycle, step, merit), and item G asks us to resolve compression and equity, including supervisory. Special pays are the connective tissue: certification and skill-based differentials, assignment and shift premiums, and longevity recognition that sit on top of base. The catalog below is built to Florida norms (FDLE/CJSTC for law enforcement, the Florida Bureau of EMS for EMS, Class I-IV water/wastewater operator licenses) with an indicative monthly value and prevalence (% of eligible incumbents currently receiving). Production figures pulled from the City of Gainesville payroll detail at award.
| Code | Pay name | Eligible families | Typical / mo | Prevalence (eligible) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FL-SIP | FL Salary Incentive Program (§943.22 LE career dev) | Gainesville | $130 | 46% |
| FTO | Field Training Officer | Gainesville, Gainesville | $100 | 14% |
| K9 | K-9 Handler | Gainesville | $160 | 3% |
| SWAT | SWAT / Special Response Team | Gainesville | $130 | 6% |
| DET | Detective / Investigator differential | Gainesville | $120 | 12% |
| PARA | Paramedic certification differential | Gainesville | $300 | 55% |
| FIRE-OFF | Fire Officer / FL Bureau of Fire cert | Gainesville | $110 | 28% |
| HAZMAT | Hazmat / Technical Rescue team | Gainesville | $120 | 18% |
| CDL | CDL differential (transit / PW / solid waste) | Regional, Public, Solid | $90 | 44% |
| WW-LIC | Water/Wastewater Operator license | Public, Facilities, | $120 | 22% |
| ICC | ICC Inspector cert (per discipline) | Sustainable | $85 | 38% |
| GISP | GISP Certification | Information, Sustainable | $110 | 16% |
| SEC-CERT | Security / cyber certification (CISSP, Security+) | Information | $150 | 24% |
| SHIFT | Shift differential (evening / night) | Gainesville, Gainesville, Regional, Public, Solid, Facilities, | $110 | 30% |
| BILINGUAL | Bilingual pay (Spanish) | Gainesville, Gainesville, Regional, Housing,, Executive, Sustainable | $75 | 8% |
| ON-CALL | On-Call / standby (PW / Facilities / IT) | Public, Facilities,, Information | $200 | 15% |
| ACTING | Acting / out-of-class pay | Executive, Gainesville, Gainesville, Regional, Public, Facilities,, Sustainable, Information | $350 | 5% |
| LONGEVITY | Longevity / service-step recognition | Executive, Gainesville, Gainesville, Regional, Public, Solid, Parks,, Facilities,, Finance,, Human, Information, Sustainable, Housing,, Compliance,, Airport, | $70 | 40% |
FDLE/CJSTC career-development & certification pay
Florida sworn law enforcement is certified by the Department of Criminal Justice Services (FDLE/CJSTC), not ‘POST.’ Career-development and Master Deputy incentives are common across Florida sheriff's offices, and certification differentials run through the Florida Bureau of EMS (AEMT, Paramedic), the Florida Department of Fire Programs, and Class I-IV water/wastewater operator licenses. We benchmark Gainesville's structure against the RFP-named peers so the ladder stays competitive without overpaying.
Acting & career-ladder pay
RFP §COMPENSATION STUDY items F and G turn on movement and equity: how staff advance through their ranges and how supervisory compression gets resolved. Acting / out-of-class pay (5-10% above base for designated periods) and step movement on promotion are the two levers. We document both and recommend bright-line policy language so HR isn't making one-off decisions.
Prevalence and monthly values illustrative. Production figures pulled from Gainesville County payroll detail (12 most recent pay periods) at engagement award.