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Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office 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.
Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office starts at $132,263 a year — about $63.59 an hour on a 2,080-hour year, before overtime. That is $63,873 above the median of the 1,681 agencies on this list, and $66,889 above the median for county agencies.
Cost of livingPrices in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA run about 10% above the national average, so this is worth roughly $119,779 somewhere at average prices — $12,485 less than the headline figure. Most of that is rent, at 212 against a national average of 100, where goods are 105. Based on price levels for this metropolitan 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 isSanta Clara County Sheriff's Office reported 1,071 sworn officers and 340 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 Santa Clara County says about itself
The County of Santa Clara Sheriff's Office is dedicated to the preservation of public safety by providing innovative and progressive service in partnership with the community. Our principal mission is protection of life and property. Our employees are our most valued asset.
What Santa Clara County does
Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office describes itself as a full-service law-enforcement agency responsible for public safety in unincorporated communities and contract jurisdictions, operating county correctional facilities and providing court security and specialized services. Official County materials emphasize professional service, constitutional policing, community partnership and protection of life and property.
Where the figure comes from
Checked 8 August 2026. County class specification, Deputy Sheriff — open the source document
$132,263.04. Checked Jul 2026
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 Santa Clara County 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 | $35,006 | $71,287 | $163,619 | 1046 |
| County | $36,492 | $65,374 | $132,263 | 416 |
| Special jurisdiction | $31,200 | $60,195 | $107,954 | 69 |
| State | $33,994 | $64,998 | $102,692 | 143 |
| 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 $2,200 more than the middle municipal agency and about $8,100 more than the middle county agency and about $13,300 more than the middle special jurisdiction agency and about $8,500 more than the middle state agency and about $45,300 more than the middle territory agency. Santa Clara County starts at $132,263, so $66,889 above the county middle.
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How it ranks
Common questions
How much does a Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office officer make?
Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office starts a new officer on $132,263 a year, about $63.59 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 County class specification, Deputy Sheriff.
Is that good pay for a police officer in California?
It ranks #10 of 222 agencies we have verified in California — 212 pay less, 9 pay more in the state — and #10 of 1,681 nationally. Against the national median it is $63,873 above, and against other county agencies $66,889 above.
Compare with another department
Put Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office 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 Santa | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara Police Department | Municipal | 141 | $163,619 | +$31,356 | #1 |
| 2 | Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety | Municipal | 227 | $149,443 | +$17,180 | #2 |
| 3 | Redwood City Police Department | Municipal | 83 | $147,942 | +$15,679 | #3 |
| 4 | San Jose Police Department | Municipal | 1,065 | $144,003 | +$11,740 | #4 |
| 5 | Mountain View Police Department | Municipal | 90 | $143,096 | +$10,833 | #5 |
| 6 | San Mateo Police Department | Municipal | 111 | $141,024 | +$8,761 | #6 |
| 7 | Los Altos Police Department | Municipal | 31 | $139,740 | +$7,477 | #7 |
| 8 | Hayward Police Department | Municipal | 171 | $138,965 | +$6,702 | #8 |
| 9 | Milpitas Police Department | Municipal | 84 | $138,261 | +$5,998 | #9 |
| 11 | Menlo Park Police Department | Municipal | 43 | $132,036 | −$227 | #11 |
| 12 | Campbell Police Department | Municipal | 44 | $131,747 | −$516 | #12 |
| 13 | Foster City Police Department | Municipal | 34 | $131,165 | −$1,098 | #13 |
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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