Highest paid police departments in California, 2025

The 25 highest of 320 California agencies with at least 10 full-year officers, on four measures. Figures are what each employer reported to the State Controller for 2025.

Highest top salary for an officer

$209,149

Concord Police. Highest median total pay, with overtime: Santa Clara Police, $274,799.

Top salary, officer or deputy

1. Concord Police$209,149

2. Santa Clara Police$208,808

3. Belmont Police$191,775

4. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety$189,326

5. San Jose Police$183,689

6. Palo Alto Police$176,472

7. Mountain View Police$173,768

8. Morgan Hill Police$173,269

9. South San Francisco Police$169,562

10. Colma Police$168,343

11. Milpitas Police$168,059

12. Hayward Police$167,731

13. Fremont Police$166,226

14. San Francisco Police$164,164

15. Emeryville Police$162,672

16. San Ramon Police$161,847

17. Greenfield Police$161,722

18. Atherton Police$161,660

19. Los Gatos Police$160,925

20. Santa Clara County Sheriff$160,784

21. Menlo Park Police$160,491

22. Campbell Police$160,077

23. San Mateo Police$159,971

24. Newark Police$159,557

25. Alameda Police$158,746

Highest published base salary for officer or deputy titles, as each employer reported it. Overtime not included. Employers do not all report the range the same way, so check the department's own salary schedule before relying on a figure.

Starting salary, officer or deputy

1. Santa Clara Police$163,619

2. Mountain View Police$143,096

3. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety$142,742

4. Colma Police$142,659

5. Belmont Police$140,544

6. Hayward Police$138,965

7. Milpitas Police$138,261

8. San Jose Police$137,141

9. Emeryville Police$136,320

10. San Pablo Police$135,480

11. San Mateo Police$134,237

12. San Ramon Police$133,153

13. Atherton Police$132,998

14. Los Gatos Police$132,394

15. Santa Clara County Sheriff$132,263

16. Campbell Police$131,747

17. Newark Police$131,269

18. Palo Alto Police$129,854

19. Morgan Hill Police$129,296

20. Daly City Police$127,053

21. Livermore Police$126,895

22. Menlo Park Police$125,749

23. Foster City Police$125,198

24. Walnut Creek Police$124,289

25. Concord Police$123,790

Lowest published base salary for officer or deputy titles, after the academy.

Median total pay actually paid, with overtime

1. Santa Clara Police$274,799

2. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety$254,923

3. San Francisco Police$243,481

4. San Jose Police$243,448

5. Fremont Police$238,049

6. Santa Monica Police$236,643

7. Menlo Park Police$236,086

8. San Mateo County Sheriff$234,113

9. BART Police$231,927

10. Palo Alto Police$227,627

11. Mountain View Police$224,746

12. Napa Police$224,208

13. Colma Police$222,757

14. Los Angeles Port Police$222,126

15. Hayward Police$220,381

16. Torrance Police$216,196

17. Livermore Police$215,447

18. Inglewood Police$214,900

19. Richmond Police$214,252

20. Anaheim Police$214,112

21. Atherton Police$212,108

22. Alameda County Sheriff$211,964

23. South San Francisco Police$211,129

24. San Ramon Police$210,293

25. Concord Police$209,125

Officers and deputies paid for the full year. Half earned more than the figure shown.

Median overtime paid

1. San Jose Police$64,545

2. San Mateo County Sheriff$64,197

3. San Francisco Police$64,030

4. Alameda County Sheriff$61,571

5. San Francisco County Sheriff$60,921

6. Anaheim Police$57,660

7. Santa Monica Police$57,606

8. Menlo Park Police$56,650

9. Azusa Police$55,177

10. Long Beach Police$54,517

11. Los Angeles County Sheriff$53,293

12. Fremont Police$52,508

13. Colma Police$51,321

14. Inglewood Police$51,016

15. South Gate Police$49,582

16. South Pasadena Police$49,392

17. Pasadena Police$48,997

18. Ontario Police$48,040

19. Napa Police$47,855

20. San Bruno Police$47,079

21. Sonoma County Sheriff$46,850

22. El Monte Police$46,147

23. La Verne Police$45,254

24. Buena Park Police$45,080

25. Signal Hill Police$45,019

Pay is one part of the picture. A high figure in an expensive city can go less far than a lower one elsewhere, and heavy overtime can mean a department is short of staff.

Source: California State Controller, Government Compensation in California, raw export, 2025. Jail and court deputy titles are left out of sheriff salary ranges.