Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Salary in California
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in California earn a median $118,880 a year, +56% against the national median of $76,210; they and rank 1st of 51 states by median. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers earn 2.0 times the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). California pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon, Arizona and Nevada range from $78,140 in Nevada to $88,140 in Oregon. California employs 65,940 police and sheriff's patrol officers, 3.62 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.84 is close to the national share.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $36.69 | $46.77 | $57.15 | $60.95 | $73.65 | $54.32 | 65,940 | 3.62 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $76,300 | $97,280 | $118,880 | $126,780 | $153,190 | $112,980 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.84 | $28.50 | $36.64 | $46.93 | $55.35 | $38.08 | 670,520 | – | – |
| Annual | $47,510 | $59,290 | $76,210 | $97,600 | $115,120 | $79,200 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 1st of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.84
- Jobs per 1,000
- 3.62
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for police and sheriff's patrol officers, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $65.45 | $136,140 | $105,050 | $174,030 | 2,590 | 2.28 | 0.53 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $63.46 | $132,000 | $95,390 | $156,690 | 7,990 | 3.36 | 0.78 |
| Vallejo, CA | $62.45 | $129,900 | $97,600 | $163,550 | 690 | 4.77 | 1.11 |
| Napa, CA | $61.21 | $127,310 | $86,600 | $159,420 | 300 | 3.90 | 0.90 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $60.53 | $125,910 | $81,320 | $149,560 | 590 | 2.89 | 0.67 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $59.12 | $122,970 | $79,830 | $152,340 | 400 | 4.03 | 0.93 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $58.64 | $121,980 | $78,870 | $127,880 | 24,720 | 3.94 | 0.91 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $58.13 | $120,900 | $79,180 | $131,500 | 730 | 3.62 | 0.84 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $57.52 | $119,640 | $78,360 | $128,580 | 1,330 | 4.10 | 0.95 |
| Salinas, CA | $56.84 | $118,220 | $78,390 | $142,280 | 930 | 4.96 | 1.15 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $53.59 | $111,460 | $79,150 | $159,420 | 5,420 | 5.02 | 1.16 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $53.08 | $110,400 | $78,010 | $151,960 | 4,950 | 3.22 | 0.75 |
| Redding, CA | $51.57 | $107,270 | $59,150 | $166,550 | 290 | 4.04 | 0.94 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $48.98 | $101,870 | $70,800 | $146,450 | 6,010 | 3.50 | 0.81 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $48.97 | $101,860 | $83,860 | $160,620 | 460 | 3.80 | 0.88 |
| Fresno, CA | $48.45 | $100,770 | $65,280 | $159,420 | 1,560 | 3.28 | 0.76 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $48.03 | $99,900 | $77,980 | $130,850 | 930 | 3.22 | 0.75 |
| Modesto, CA | $47.23 | $98,230 | $78,230 | $123,690 | 960 | 4.91 | 1.14 |
| Chico, CA | $45.56 | $94,760 | $55,820 | $155,980 | 270 | 3.39 | 0.79 |
| Visalia, CA | $43.71 | $90,910 | $62,200 | $155,530 | 540 | 3.16 | 0.73 |
| Yuba City, CA | $39.95 | $83,090 | $63,280 | $148,110 | 240 | 4.67 | 1.08 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $39.79 | $82,770 | $61,680 | $132,890 | 210 | 4.23 | 0.98 |
| Merced, CA | $39.68 | $82,540 | $58,330 | $155,980 | 490 | 6.14 | 1.42 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $37.56 | $78,130 | $64,310 | $152,540 | 1,320 | 3.90 | 0.90 |
| El Centro, CA | $36.65 | $76,230 | $57,890 | $159,420 | 290 | 4.41 | 1.02 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $46.84 | $97,430 | $59,390 | $159,420 | 730 | 6.95 | 1.61 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $46.71 | $97,150 | $69,240 | $159,420 | 440 | 6.96 | 1.61 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $40.29 | $83,810 | $60,270 | $152,540 | 570 | 5.20 | 1.21 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.