Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary · California
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Salary in California
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in California earn a median of $118,880 a year, which is $57.15 an hour. That is $42,670 above the national median of $76,210, a difference of 56 percent. The state employs 65,940.
California against the US May 2025
| Figure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $118,880 | $76,210 |
| Median hourly | $57.15 | $36.64 |
| Mean annual | $112,980 | $79,200 |
| 10th percentile | $76,300 | $47,510 |
| 90th percentile | $153,190 | $115,120 |
| Employment | 65,940 | 670,520 |
How California compares
By median pay, California ranks 1 of the 12 states this site reports for police and sheriff's patrol officers. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.
Other states for police and sheriff's patrol officers May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $100,520 | $48.33 | 29,180 |
| New York | $92,790 | $44.61 | 53,470 |
| New Jersey | $92,610 | $44.53 | 21,780 |
| Pennsylvania | $85,470 | $41.09 | 26,510 |
| Massachusetts | $78,940 | $37.95 | 17,040 |
| Ohio | $77,020 | $37.03 | 23,430 |
| Texas | $75,900 | $36.49 | 63,100 |
| Florida | $74,470 | $35.81 | 43,630 |
| Virginia | $65,870 | $31.67 | 19,970 |
| North Carolina | $59,300 | $28.51 | 22,370 |
| Georgia | $58,120 | $27.94 | 22,170 |
Common questions
How much do police and sheriff's patrol officers make in California?
The median salary for police and sheriff's patrol officers in California is $118,880 a year, or $57.15 an hour. That is $42,670 above the national median of $76,210, a difference of 56 percent. California employs 65,940 of them.
Is California a good state to work as a police and sheriff's patrol officer?
On pay alone, California ranks 1 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.
What is the pay range for police and sheriff's patrol officers in California?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $76,300 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $153,190 or more. The middle half falls between $97,280 and $126,780.
Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 33-3051 in California. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national police and sheriff's patrol officers salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.