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California Polytechnic State University Police Department entry pay
What this agency pays a new officer to start, and how that compares with the rest of the country.
Entry pay onlyEvery salary here is what an officer is paid on day one, out of the academy — base pay on a 40-hour week, with no overtime, shift differential, specialty or education pay counted. Nobody stays on it.
California Polytechnic State University Police Department starts at $96,828 a year — about $46.55 an hour on a 2,080-hour year, before overtime. That is $30,143 above the median of the 2,288 agencies on this list, and $36,624 above the median for special jurisdiction agencies.
Cost of livingPrices in California run about 11% above the national average, so this is worth roughly $87,453 somewhere at average prices — $9,375 less than the headline figure. Most of that is utilities, at 159 against a national average of 100, where goods are 106. Based on state-wide price levels, because this agency is not tied to a single metro area, from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. The salary above is what the employer publishes; this line is our arithmetic on it, and nothing on this site is ranked on it.
How big the department isCalifornia Polytechnic State University Police Department reported 21 sworn officers and 5 civilian staff to the FBI for 2025.No rate is shown: this agency does not police a single population the FBI publishes a figure for. Reporting to the FBI is voluntary, so a count can reflect a partial return as easily as a small agency, and the FBI asks that agencies not be compared on staffing. Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Full-time Law Enforcement Employees, 2025.
What California Polytechnic State University says about itself
The Cal Poly Maritime Academy Police Department provides protection for the campus community 24 hours a day, year-round, handling all patrol, investigation, crime prevention education, emergency preparedness and related law enforcement duties. The department is empowered as a full-service state law enforcement agency pursuant to section 830.2(b) of the California Penal Code and employs 10 sworn police officers with full arrest powers, eight civilian support employees and a student assistant.
What California Polytechnic State University does
Cal Poly Maritime Academy campus police officers protect students, faculty, staff, visitors, property and facilities. They enforce laws and traffic regulations, apprehend violators, prevent crime, investigate incidents and take specialized assignments.
Where the figure comes from
Checked 13 August 2026. $96,828 annual anticipated hiring-range minimum. — open the source document
$96,828 annual anticipated hiring-range minimum.
Entry-level base salary only. Overtime, bonuses, education incentives, shift
differentials, locality pay and lateral rates are excluded, so most officers earn more
than this.
How this level compares
Where California Polytechnic State University sits is partly about the agency and partly about which level of policing it belongs to. The three levels do not pay the same.
| Level | Lowest | Median | Highest | Agencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal | $33,280 | $68,140 | $163,619 | 1549 |
| County | $35,000 | $63,565 | $132,263 | 516 |
| Special jurisdiction | $31,200 | $60,204 | $107,954 | 71 |
| State | $33,994 | $65,166 | $110,916 | 145 |
| Federal | $70,477 | $73,502 | $86,530 | 5 |
| Territory | $16,640 | $28,236 | $43,354 | 9 |
Federal agencies pay the most to start
The middle federal agency starts at $73,502 — about $5,400 more than the middle municipal agency and about $9,900 more than the middle county agency and about $13,300 more than the middle special jurisdiction agency and about $8,300 more than the middle state agency and about $45,300 more than the middle territory agency. California Polytechnic State University starts at $96,828, so $36,624 above the special jurisdiction middle.
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How it ranks
Common questions
How much does a California Polytechnic State University Police Department officer make?
California Polytechnic State University Police Department starts a new officer on $96,828 a year, about $46.55 an hour on a 2,080-hour year. That is base salary before overtime, bonuses, education incentives, shift differentials and locality pay, so most serving officers earn more. The figure comes from $96,828 annual anticipated hiring-range minimum..
Is that good pay for a police officer in California?
It ranks #142 of 278 agencies we have verified in California — 136 pay less, 141 pay more in the state — and #164 of 2,288 nationally. Against the national median it is $30,143 above, and against other special jurisdiction agencies $36,624 above.
Compare with another department
Put California Polytechnic State University Police Department side by side with any other agency on the site — the two salaries, what each is worth once local prices are counted, and which comes out ahead.
The agencies either side of it
Other agencies in CA
| # | Agency | Level | Sworn # | Entry pay | Vs California | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara Police Department | Municipal | 141 | $163,619 | +$66,791 | #1 |
| 2 | Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety | Municipal | 227 | $149,443 | +$52,615 | #2 |
| 3 | Redwood City Police Department | Municipal | 83 | $147,942 | +$51,114 | #3 |
| 4 | San Jose Police Department | Municipal | 1,065 | $144,003 | +$47,175 | #4 |
| 5 | Mountain View Police Department | Municipal | 90 | $143,096 | +$46,268 | #5 |
| 6 | San Mateo Police Department | Municipal | 111 | $141,024 | +$44,196 | #6 |
| 7 | Los Altos Police Department | Municipal | 31 | $139,740 | +$42,912 | #7 |
| 8 | Hayward Police Department | Municipal | 171 | $138,965 | +$42,137 | #8 |
| 9 | Milpitas Police Department | Municipal | 84 | $138,261 | +$41,433 | #9 |
| 10 | Los Gatos Police Department | Municipal | 34 | $132,394 | +$35,566 | #10 |
| 11 | Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office | County | 1,071 | $132,263 | +$35,435 | #11 |
| 12 | Menlo Park Police Department | Municipal | 43 | $132,036 | +$35,208 | #12 |
Base pay is only part of the year
Whatever the figure above, the rotation is what decides your year — which weekends you lose, when the changeovers land, what you can plan around. Save yours once and BlueShifts shows it a year ahead, with the off-duty jobs you take and what each one paid.
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