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California State University, Northridge Department of Police Services 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 State University, Northridge Department of Police Services 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.
What California State University, Northridge says about itself
The men and women of the California State University, Northridge Department of Police Services are dedicated to excellent police service through partnerships that reduce crime, create a safe environment, build trust and enhance the quality of life in our academic community. We are committed to delivering effective, responsive and professional service in a manner that fosters a sense of belonging for every student, all faculty and staff, and visitors to the campus.
What California State University, Northridge does
CSUN Department of Police Services Police Officers protect students, faculty, staff, visitors, property, and facilities; enforce laws and traffic regulations; apprehend violators; and provide campus law-enforcement services
Shifts at California State University, Northridge
The division functions primarily utilizing four, 12-hour shifts, providing continuous patrol of the University and surrounding community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 28 sworn officers.
The agency publishes the shift length but not a named cycle. These are the 12-hour rotations departments most often build on it: Pitman, 4 on, 4 off, DuPont, Panama, 3-4-4-3.
Four 12-hour shifts covering every hour of the week is a rotation where the shift you are on decides your days and the pattern moves through the month. BlueShifts holds it and totals the hours correctly.
Where the figure comes from
Checked 13 August 2026. $8,069/month / $96,828 annual anticipated hiring-range minimum. — open the source document
$8,069/month / $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 State University, Northridge 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 State University, Northridge 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 State University, Northridge Department of Police Services officer make?
California State University, Northridge Department of Police Services 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 $8,069/month / $96,828 annual anticipated hiring-range minimum..
Is that good pay for a police officer in California?
It ranks #141 of 278 agencies we have verified in California — 137 pay less, 140 pay more in the state — and #163 of 2,288 nationally. Against the national median it is $30,143 above, and against other special jurisdiction agencies $36,624 above.
What shifts do California State University, Northridge Department of Police Services officers work?
The division functions primarily utilizing four, 12-hour shifts, providing continuous patrol of the University and surrounding community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 28 sworn officers. That is the agency's own published wording; the pattern is drawn on this page.
Compare with another department
Put California State University, Northridge Department of Police Services 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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