Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers pay in California
$112,980avg. a year
$54.32 an hour · 65,940 employed
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in California earn an average of $112,980 a year. That is $33,780 (43%) more than the U.S. average of $79,200. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $143,520.
$118,880Median pay
$54.32Average hourly
+5%Avg. pay since 2020
#1Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for police and sheriff's patrol officers by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.
12,590 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$143,520
$69.00 an hour
27,990 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$130,190
$62.59 an hour
3690 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$127,150
$61.13 an hour
4300 jobs
Napa, CA
$124,360
$59.79 an hour
5590 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$118,750
$57.09 an hour
6290 jobs
Redding, CA
$117,570
$56.52 an hour
7400 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$115,630
$55.59 an hour
8460 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$112,820
$54.24 an hour
9730 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$112,450
$54.06 an hour
1024,720 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$112,320
$54.00 an hour
11930 jobs
Salinas, CA
$111,650
$53.68 an hour
125,420 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$111,070
$53.40 an hour
131,330 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$110,910
$53.32 an hour
144,950 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$108,770
$52.29 an hour
156,010 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$104,710
$50.34 an hour
161,560 jobs
Fresno, CA
$103,470
$49.75 an hour
17930 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$102,580
$49.32 an hour
18960 jobs
Modesto, CA
$96,980
$46.63 an hour
19270 jobs
Chico, CA
$94,650
$45.50 an hour
20540 jobs
Visalia, CA
$94,110
$45.24 an hour
21490 jobs
Merced, CA
$90,990
$43.74 an hour
221,320 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$90,570
$43.54 an hour
23240 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$89,680
$43.11 an hour
24210 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$89,670
$43.11 an hour
25290 jobs
El Centro, CA
$87,720
$42.17 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California police and sheriff's patrol officers work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $63k$63k–$75k$75k–$85k$85k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $79,200 | $38.08 |
| California | $112,980 | $54.32 |
| Oregon | $87,990 | $42.30 |
| Nevada | $86,470 | $41.57 |
| Arizona | $81,720 | $39.29 |
Related jobs in California
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do police and sheriff's patrol officers make in California?
The average is $112,980 a year, and the median is $118,880. That is $33,780 (43%) more than the U.S. average of $79,200.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$54.32 an hour on average; the median is $57.15.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($143,520), followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($130,190). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is El Centro, CA ($87,720).
How does California rank?
California ranks #1 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 33-3051. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national police and sheriff's patrol officers page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.