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Police cadet and student jobs in California, 2026
21 paid part-time jobs for students at California police and sheriff departments, with the pay, hours, age limits and school rules each official posting prints. Volunteer and unpaid programs are listed after them.
Highest hourly pay on an open cadet posting, Nov 14, 2026
$26.66 - $29.40 an hour
Rialto Police, Police Cadet (Part Time, At-Will & Non-Benefited). 20 of 21 paid postings print an hourly rate.
Hourly pay for police cadets and student workers, by department
The top of the hourly range each posting prints, in dollars an hour. The full range as printed is in the list below.
Read from each official posting on Nov 14, 2026 and confirmed in a second read the same day. Some postings have been open for years, so the pay printed on them may be old. A posting that prints annual pay only is listed below and left off the chart, because we do not convert pay. A department that is not listed may still hire cadets.
Each paid role, with the official posting
Arcadia Police: Police Cadet (Part-time)
Pay as printed: $38,667.20 - $42,681.60 Annually. Age: 18 to 21 at time of appointment (may remain until 24th birthday). School: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade or currently enrolled in last year of high school. If candidate has completed high school, current enrollment in an accredited college or university towards a degree is required.... Closes: Continuous. Official page
Baldwin Park Police: Police Cadet
Pay as printed: $19.47 - $20.26 Hourly. Hours: on average 20 hours per week and shall not work an excess of 960 total hours per fiscal year. Age: 18. School: Applicants MUST be attending High School OR College at time of appointment. College students must be full-time carrying a minimum of 12 semester/quarter units of credit each term. Overall GPA of 2.0 ("C" Average) or better must... Closes: 11/23/2026 11:59 PM Pacific. Official page
Clovis Police: Police Cadet Extra Help Part-Time
Pay as printed: $23.00 Hourly. Age: 18. Closes: Continuous. Official page
Costa Mesa Police: Police Cadet
Pay as printed: $20.00 - $24.31 Hourly. Hours: Generally, part-time employees are limited to no more than 1,000 hours of work per fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Age: 18 by date of application. School: Graduation from high school or equivalent. Current enrollment in an accredited college or university with six or more units of study with an emphasis in political science, social sciences, or related field is highly desirable. Official page
El Segundo Police: Police Cadet
Pay as printed: $17.08 - $20.77 Hourly. Hours: an average of 19 hours per week. School: Must be currently enrolled in a minimum of 12 college semester units. Incumbents must maintain a course load of at least 12 college semester units/quarter system equivalent, and maintain a grade "C" average or higher. Official page
Fontana Police: Police Cadet
Pay as printed: $16.90 - $20.56 Hourly. Age: 18 to 24. School: Maintain current enrollment and satisfactory completion of the equivalent of at least 9 semester units of law enforcement related college courses in order to participate in the Cadet program. Closes: Continuous. Official page
Garden Grove Police: Police Cadet
Pay as printed: $17.00 - $19.00 Hourly. Age: up to 22 and one-half years old at the time of application close (may remain until 25th birthday). School: Applicants must meet one (1) of the following: Be a senior in high school; Have graduated from high school (or completed the G.E.D.) and enrolling to attend college in the next possible school term; Be currently enrolled in... Closes: 11/16/2026 5:00 PM Pacific. Official page
Glendora Police: Police Cadet
Pay as printed: $16.00 Hourly. Hours: variable part time hours, including nights and weekends, typically around school schedules. Age: 18 to 21 at time of hire (not retained past the age of 25). School: A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be graduation from high school or equivalent, and enrollment in college in a course of study directed at earning a degree in a field related to law enforcement. Cadets are... Official page
Huntington Beach Police: POLICE CADET
Pay as printed: $16.90 - $22.65 Hourly. Hours: Work hours are assigned around the student's class schedule. Age: 18 to 23 at time of appointment (may remain up to 25). School: Currently enrolled in high school or college and carrying a minimum of 12 semester units during the school term with minimum grade point average of 2.0 (9 units if possessing 70 units of college level course work or Associate of... Closes: Continuous. Official page
La Habra Police: Police Cadet (Part-Time)
Pay as printed: $20.00 Hourly. Hours: approximately 20-28 hours per week. Age: 18 at time of appointment. School: Must be currently enrolled in at least six semester units of study at an accredited college or university and maintain a minimum of six units per semester in an accredited college or university. Official page
Marin County Sheriff: Student Intern - Undergraduate (Sheriff's Cadet)
Pay as printed: $20.90 - $25.40 Hourly. Hours: approximately 16 to 25 hours a week depending on availability. Age: 18. School: currently enrolled in college with at least 9 units per semester or 6 quarters (proof required); and maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better Closes: Continuous. Official page
Mariposa County Sheriff: Sheriff's Cadet- Extra Help
Pay as printed: $19.41 Hourly. Hours: part-time basis (less than 1,000 hours per fiscal year). Age: 17. School: Current enrollment in high school and in the Grizzly Sheriff program; or, current enrollment in an accredited college. Official page
Montclair Police: Police Cadet
Pay as printed: $17.51 - $21.28 Hourly. Hours: 20-30 hours of duty per week. Age: 18 at time of appointment. Closes: Continuous. Official page
Novato Police: Police Cadet
Pay as printed: $19.00 - $23.10 Hourly. Hours: part time, non-benefitted with a maximum of 960 hours annually. Closes: Continuous. Official page
Oakland Police: Police Cadet, PT (Continuous)
Pay as printed: $19.97 - $22.02 Hourly. Hours: up to 19.5 hours per week. Age: 15 at the time of application to under 20.5 years of age at time of appointment. School: Applicants must be attending high school or an accredited college or university in good standing with a 2.0 GPA or higher. College students must be enrolled full-time with at least 6 units of college courses that are academic in... Closes: open continuous recruitment. Official page
Pleasanton Police: TEMP - Police Cadet
Pay as printed: $16.90 - $20.00 Hourly. Age: 18. School: Must be currently enrolled in an accredited college or university and taking a minimum of 12semester/ 18 quarter units and maintain a “C” or better grade point average. Closes: Continuous. Official page
Rialto Police: Police Cadet (Part Time, At-Will & Non-Benefited)
Pay as printed: $26.66 - $29.40 Hourly. Hours: limited to 1,000 hours per fiscal year. Age: 18 to 23. School: enrolled in an accredited college or university with a class load of at least twelve (12) semester units in classes approved by the Chief of Police (grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4-point scale) Closes: Continuous. Official page
San Francisco Police: Police Cadet - SFPD (8274)
Pay as printed: $26.8/hr - $29.375/hr. Hours: 20 hours per week. Age: may apply at 17 years of age but will not be appointed until 18 years of age. School: Current or future enrollment to an accredited college or university and taking a minimum of 12 semester/ 18 quarter units toward earning a degree while maintaining a minimum 2.0 GPA Official page
Seal Beach Police: Police Aide
Pay as printed: $18.23 Hourly. Hours: Work schedules average (20) hours per week. School: Graduation from high school or equivalent; college-level class work in a related subject is highly desirable. Closes: 11/15/2026 11:59 PM Pacific. Official page
Pay as printed: $20.95 - $25.47 Hourly. Hours: shift commitment based on your college schedule availability. Age: 18 to 25 at time of appointment (must transition or separate before age 26). School: You must be enrolled in a minimum of nine college units each semester and maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher. Closes: Continuous. Official page
Tustin Police: Police Cadet (Part-time)
Pay as printed: $22.00 Hourly. Hours: less than 1,000 hours per fiscal year; hours worked may vary significantly from week to week. Age: 18 to 22 at the time of hire (may continue until reaching age 24). School: To remain employed as a Police Cadet, the individual must be enrolled in minimum of six (6) semester units (or equivalent) and maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or better. Closes: Continuous. Official page
Volunteer programs and unpaid internships
Explorer and cadet programs run by a department, and internships that state no pay. These are program pages, not job postings, unless the link says otherwise.
Long Beach Police: Long Beach Police Cadet Program
Hours: a minimum of 20 hours a week. Age: 18 to 24. School: enrolled in an accredited college or university with a minimum of a 2.5 GPA or a recent graduate Official page
Long Beach Police: Long Beach Police Explorer Program #295
Age: 14 and in the 9th grade, or 15 (regardless of grade) to 20. School: Maintain a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) or higher in high school or college; Good school attendance; Official page
Los Angeles County Sheriff: Sheriff’s Explorer Program
Orange County Sheriff: Emergency Management: Whole Community Planning Intern - OC Sheriff's Department (Unpaid Intern)
Hours: Minimum 5 hours per week over one semester or quarter. School: Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited college, university, or trade school and majoring in Emergency Management, Public Safety, Political Science, Public Administration, Law, Public Affairs, Communications,... Closes: Continuous. Official page
Orange County Sheriff: Emergency Management: Legislative Research Intern - OC Sheriff's Department (Unpaid Intern)
Hours: Minimum 5 hours per week over one semester or quarter. School: Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited college, university, or trade school and majoring in Emergency Management, Public Safety, Political Science, Public Administration, Law, Public Affairs, Communications,... Closes: Continuous. Official page
Upland Police: Explorer Program- Police Department
Pay as printed: $0.00 Hourly. Age: 14 to 20. School: Must maintain a "C" average or better, maintain a good attendance record or have a high school diploma, if applicable. Official page
Common questions
What does a police cadet do?
A police cadet is a part-time paid job for a student, usually aged 18 to the early twenties, who wants to become an officer. Cadets are not sworn officers. Each posting linked here sets out the duties, hours and school rules for that department.
How much do police cadets make in California?
Of 20 open postings that print an hourly rate on Nov 14, 2026, the highest was Rialto Police at $26.66 - $29.40 Hourly and the lowest was Glendora Police at $16.00 Hourly. Each figure is the one printed on the official posting.
Do you have to be in college to be a police cadet?
17 of the 21 paid postings listed here say the cadet must be enrolled in high school or college, often with a minimum number of units and a grade point average. The rest ask for a high school diploma and do not limit the job to students.
What is the difference between a cadet and an explorer?
A cadet is usually a paid part-time employee aged 18 or older. An explorer program is a volunteer youth program, usually for ages 14 to 20, run by a department. A few departments use the word cadet for a full-time trainee in the academy. Those are officer jobs and are listed with entry-level openings, not here.