Walker, James A
Communications Specialist 3Cannabis Management OfficeRamsey CountyFull-time
Communications Staff. Minnesota state employee pay history, from State of Minnesota salary data.
Pay by fiscal year
Total paid across all records in each year, overtime included, compared with consumer prices.
From FY 2025 to FY 2026, pay went up 17% while consumer prices went up 3%. After inflation, pay is up 14% (it beat inflation).
| Year | Paid | Change | Prices (CPI) | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 | $92,794 | +17.4% | +3.1% | +13.8% |
| FY 2025 | $79,044 | — | — | — |
Each change compares a year with the one before. Large swings usually come from a partial year, extra hours or a change of job rather than a raise. Prices: Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, U.S. city average) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, averaged July to June; FY 2026 uses 11 months because October 2025 was not published.
Compared with the same job title
FY 2026 · Communications Specialist 3
Paid more than 45% of the 161 people with this job title that year. The median was $95,811.
Uses the amount paid in the year, so partial years and part-time positions read low.
See everyone with this job titleEvery record
2 records, newest first
| FY | Agency | Job title | County | Base pay | Overtime | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Cannabis Management Office Communications Staff | Communications Specialist 3 Full-time | Ramsey | $47.76 /hr | — | $92,794 |
| 2025 | Cannabis Management Office Communications Staff | Communications Specialist 3 Full-time | Ramsey | $47.05 /hr | — | $79,044 |
The state reports one pay total per person per year, covering all of their positions, so it appears on one of that year’s lines and the others show no separate pay.
Highest paid in Cannabis Management Office
FY 2026, amount paid
- Taubel, Eric Scott$187,392Exec Dir Office Cannabis Mgmt
- Barnes, Katona R$170,660Deputy Dir Ofc Cannabis Mgmt
- Leininger, Sophie$149,442Senior Admin Officer
- Zappia, Maxwell John$145,407Deputy Dir Ofc Cannabis Mgmt
- McShane, Amy Sue$131,700Financial Services Director
- Jackson, Jessica L$131,700State Prog Admin Manager Sr
- Reynaga, William$131,672General Counsel 1
- Collins, Joshua R$131,633Communications Manager 1
Highest paid as Communications Specialist 3
FY 2026, amount paid
- DePew, Jeremy$109,668Children Youth & Families Dept
- Torner, Nancy L$108,657Health Department
- Harrison, Karen$106,800Natural Resources Dept
- Coleman, Jenifer M$105,763Natural Resources Dept
- Ernster, Michael$103,445Public Safety Dept
- Sadoff, Lynn Paige$101,931Veterans Affairs Dept
- Pribbernow, Christine N$100,722Employ & Econ Development Dept
- Gonzalez, Victor Carlos$100,626Human Services Dept