Quick answer:Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers in California earn a median $118,880 per year, above the national median of $76,210 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The state employs about 65,940 of them. Licensing runs through your state POST commission and the hiring agency.
Criminal Justice Pay and Employment in California at a Glance
Metric
California
National
Source
Median annual wage
$118,880
$76,210
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$76,300
$47,510
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$97,280
$59,290
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$126,780
$97,600
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$153,190
$115,120
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
65,940
670,520
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.84
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
3.1%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How California Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The California median of $118,880 sits above the national median of $76,210 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.84 puts California below the national average, so the occupation is less concentrated here than in the typical state. Expect a thinner local job market and fewer employers to move between (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Policing is hired agency by agency, so the relevant market is the metro area and the departments inside it.
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Wages by Metro Area in California
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), police and sheriff's patrol officers wages in California vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
24,720
$121,980
$112,320
$78,870
$127,880
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
7,990
$132,000
$130,190
$95,390
$156,690
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
6,010
$101,870
$104,710
$70,800
$146,450
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
5,420
$111,460
$111,070
$79,150
$159,420
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
4,950
$110,400
$108,770
$78,010
$151,960
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
2,590
$136,140
$143,520
$105,050
$174,030
Fresno
1,560
$100,770
$103,470
$65,280
$159,420
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
1,330
$119,640
$110,910
$78,360
$128,580
Bakersfield-Delano
1,320
$78,130
$90,570
$64,310
$152,540
Modesto
960
$98,230
$96,980
$78,230
$123,690
Salinas
930
$118,220
$111,650
$78,390
$142,280
Stockton-Lodi
930
$99,900
$102,580
$77,980
$130,850
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
730
$120,900
$112,450
$79,180
$131,500
Vallejo
690
$129,900
$127,150
$97,600
$163,550
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
590
$125,910
$118,750
$81,320
$149,560
Visalia
540
$90,910
$94,110
$62,200
$155,530
Merced
490
$82,540
$90,990
$58,330
$155,980
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
460
$101,860
$112,820
$83,860
$160,620
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
400
$122,970
$115,630
$79,830
$152,340
Napa
300
$127,310
$124,360
$86,600
$159,420
El Centro
290
$76,230
$87,720
$57,890
$159,420
Redding
290
$107,270
$117,570
$59,150
$166,550
Chico
270
$94,760
$94,650
$55,820
$155,980
Yuba City
240
$83,090
$89,680
$63,280
$148,110
Hanford-Corcoran
210
$82,770
$89,670
$61,680
$132,890
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Sworn officers are certified by a state Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) commission, and hiring itself is done by individual agencies. The academic degree is separate from that certification: a criminal justice degree is rarely the minimum to be hired, and matters more for promotion and for federal, probation, and investigative roles.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state POST commission and the hiring agency that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 114 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
How much do police and sheriff's patrol officers make in California?
The median annual wage for police and sheriff's patrol officers in California is $118,880, above the national median of $76,210 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $97,280 at the 25th percentile to $126,780 at the 75th.
How many police and sheriff's patrol officers work in California?
California holds about 65,940 police officer jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 670,520, and BLS projects about 53,700 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a police officer in California?
Sworn officers are certified by a state Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) commission, and hiring itself is done by individual agencies. The academic degree is separate from that certification: a criminal justice degree is rarely the minimum to be hired, and matters more for promotion and for federal, probation, and investigative roles. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state POST commission and the hiring agency before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a criminal justice degree online while working in California?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state POST commission and the hiring agency.
What is the highest-paying area of California for police and sheriff's patrol officers?
Among California metro areas with published data, San Jose reports the highest median at $136,140 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is California a good state for police and sheriff's patrol officers?
On pay, the state median of $118,880 sits above the national $76,210 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.84 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
